SOS coming out against Austin City Council’s proposal to expand the Convention Center.
Austin City Council will discuss expanding the Convention Center today, but they’ll get no support for it from the Save Our Springs Alliance. SOS Executive Director Bill Bunch says the biggest reason is that it’s an enormous waste of hotel-occupancy tax generated money. “It should be going to support those people, places and activities that both tourists and residents love about and that are really filling up our hotel rooms.”
Bunch says according to City data, Convention Center visitors “are generating less than four percent of Austin’s hotel visitors, and yet the Convention Center is taking over seventy two percent of the revenue that’s generated.” He says that takes needed money away from things like live music, the arts, parks and historic preservation, the things that people come to Austin for.
Councilmembers say expanding the convention center would mean more money to help fight homelessness. “We don’t understand that argument at all.” Bunch says, “Because the state statute they would expand the convention center under says explicitly that the revenue can only be used for the convention center expansion.” Councilmember Jimmy Flannigan has said the expanded convention center would bring an additional four to ten million dollars annually for homelessness programs.
