By Edmond Ortiz
Just as early voting for a special Bexar County election is set to begin, a new poll shows lukewarm support for the use of venue tax revenues to build a new San Antonio Spurs arena and to develop a year-round stock show and rodeo district.
What’s happening
Early voting starts Oct. 20 towards a Nov. 4 election on two Bexar County proposals. Proposition A calls for using two taxing mechanisms to fund enhancements to the Frost Bank Center, Freeman Coliseum and Freeman Expo Hall, and any other improvements on the county-owned land surrounding those East Side facilities.
Here, county officials propose raising the county’s hotel occupancy tax rate from 1.75% to 2%, and imposing a 5% vehicle rental tax rate to finance a Coliseum Complex Venue Project.
Under Proposition B, county leaders using the same county hotel occupancy and vehicle rental taxes to help fund the construction of a new Spurs arena at Hemisfair. The Spurs pledge to provide $500 million toward the $1.2 billion-$1.5 billion arena, where construction would also be supported by two financing zones.
Supporters of a new Spurs arena say the venue could anchor an envisioned transformative sports and entertainment district, dubbed Project Marvel, at Hemisfair.
Backers of Prop A said voter approval of that measure could help shore up the Frost Bank Center/Freeman Coliseum area as a property that is able to accommodate a wider variety of San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo activities and other events throughout the year.
What you should know
However, according to a poll from the University of Texas at San Antonio’s Center for Public Opinion Research, the community is divided over both proposals:
*44% of 660 polled voters favor Prop A and an increase in Bexar County’s venue taxes to enhance and expand the stock show and rodeo grounds, with 41% of those polled in opposition, with the remaining voters undecided.
*40% of voters favor Prop B and using increased venue taxes to finance a new Spurs arena, with 46% against the measure, and the rest unsure.
*45% of voters say the city and county should advance Project Marvel, which also envisions an expanded Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, a new convention center hotel, a live music venue, and a land bridge over U.S. 281 linking Hemisfair with an overhauled Alamodome, according to preliminary concepts offered by Spurs and city officials.
What they’re saying
Bryan Gervais, UTSA political science professor and director of UTSA’s Center for Public Opinion Research, said support for ballot propositions is always in flux, particularly where voters might be unclear about the nature of a venue tax, and where organized, vocal campaigns are out in force. According to state law, revenue from such venue taxes can only be used on specific projects.
“That said, it’s fair to say that the effort to secure venue tax funding for a new Spurs arena faces an uphill battle,” Gervais said in a statement.
Spurs officials, even former players such as Manu Ginobili and Sean Elliott, as well as current and former city, county and business leaders, among others, have repeatedly urged voters to support both proposals. The team has spent nearly $2 million on a “Win Together” campaign to urge voters to pass both measures.
Regarding Prop B, backers have advanced the following points:
*Neither property taxes nor the city’s operating funds would be used to finance a new Spurs arena;
*Spurs have pledged to both provide a positive level of funding toward helping to finance a new arena and Project Marvel, and meet an array of conditions should voters approve Prop B;
*A new arena could both serve as a major economic generator for downtown, and perhaps allay fans’ fears that the Spurs might consider relocation once their current Frost Bank Center lease expires in 2032.
In a social media message posted Oct. 15, Ginobili said the Spurs provided him an opportunity to become a renowned pro basketball star, and now the Nov. 4 vote is a chance for local residents to reinvest in the Spurs’ future and, by extension, the community.
“Together, we can do big things. Props A and B are for our kids, for our families, for our community, for our Spurs, for the rodeo and for the heart of downtown,” Ginobili said.
Proponents such as JacobEric Cansino echoed Ginobili’s recent comments, saying voting for both proposals can positively benefit San Antonio in the long run.
“You can’t be anti-Project Marvel and then follow it up with ‘I want what’s best for the city.’ That math doesn’t math,” he added.
San Antonio Board Of Realtors is one of many professional industry organizations that endorse both propositions.
“These initiatives are critical to fostering growth, strengthening our economy, and enhancing the quality of life for residents and visitors alike,” SABOR CEO Gilbert Gonzalez said. “Investing in our community through projects like these ensures San Antonio continues to thrive as a vibrant place to live, work, and do business.”
Opposition forces include a political action committee, Defending Public Money for Public Good, created by the local grassroots group COPS/Metro, and Prop B is their main target.
Many critics of Prop B continue to agree with Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones, who has insisted the Spurs commission an independent economic impact analysis of a new arena and Project Marvel, and not rely on an existing similar study conducted by an entity connected to the team’s parent company, Spurs Sports and Entertainment.
Detractors have also emphasized the following points:
*Venue tax revenues, even though mainly generated by tourists, are still public monies, and as such, those funds should not be used to create debt and build a new arena;
*The Spurs should wholly fund a new arena, and not rely on outside financing;
*Existing infrastructure and recreational amenities should be given top priority, and not new downtown construction or renovations that critics believe will only benefit private developers and the well-to-do;
*The public has no faith that either the county or the city will keep promises made about Project Marvel given that no new development resulted from construction of the Spurs’ current home, Frost Bank Center, on the East Side in the early 2000s.
Meanwhile, local media reports have indicated that a few owners of small downtown businesses, which are already experiencing a downturn in commerce due to current construction projects, are worried that they may be negatively affected by new construction related to approved Project Marvel projects.
“Our scarce public funds are not play toys, they’re for public projects, for the common good, and not public funds for private investments,” COPS/Metro leader Ken Amerson said at an Oct. 2 press conference.
Some supporters of the arena and rodeo complex proposals have voiced concern about Jones’ comments and actions, including her initially delaying City Council deliberation on a Spurs arena term sheet, and her push for a third-party economic impact report and even a form of revenue-sharing between the city and the team.
Gervais said it is hard to tell whether Jones’ political maneuvers are affecting voters’ feelings on the proposals.
“Fifty-six % of those who strongly approve of the mayor are against Prop B, whereas only 41% of those who strongly disapprove of the mayor plan to vote against it. However, it could be the case that her positions on Prop B/Project Marvel are influencing voters’ attitudes towards her,” Gervais said. “It’s also worth noting that 47% of those who somewhat approve of the mayor also support Prop B, so there’s not a clear relationship between approval of Jones and Prop B support.”
Local business owner Sameer Siddiqui said Project Marvel, if fully realized, could end up being San Antonio’s greatest boon or its biggest boondoggle.
Siddiqui said, either way, Jones was justified in seeking an independent study of a new Spurs arena, and that the public deserves more accurate, updated project cost and revenue estimates given the challenges that are facing the local and national economies.
Siddiqui also said the city and the Spurs should be more clear and upfront with voters about the potential for an impact on property owners who occupy space within a defined sports and entertainment district.
Local officials say if voters were to approve a possible infrastructure bond issue in a 2026 city election, then infrastructure improvements within the Project Marvel zone would be funded by tax revenue generated by property owners in that zone. The property tax rate, however, would not go up, local officials added.
Regardless, Siddiqui said he feels that many voters are confused, unclear and cynical.
“I’m concerned this process all happened rather quickly and there is too much misinformation and asymmetric information right now,” he added.
What’s next
Early voting will be held 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 20-24; 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 25; noon-6 p.m. Oct. 26; and 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 27-31 at more than 45 sites countywide. Election Day polls will be open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Nov. 4 at multiple locations.
The following town halls on Props A and B and Project Marvel are scheduled:
*6-7 p.m. Oct. 16 at St. Paul Community Center, 1201 Donaldson Ave.
*10-11:30 a.m. Oct. 18 at Walker Ranch Senior Center, 835 W. Rhapsody Drive
*A virtual town hall 5:30-7 p.m. Oct. 21, hosted by District 1 City Councilmember Sukh Kaur
