Revenue from hotel tax would go towards improving MPEC

WICHITA FALLS, Texas (TNN) - The MPEC and J S Bridwell Agriculture Center have building issues that would costs millions of dollars.

The issues in the MPEC range from damaged air walls that are used to divide event rooms, to leaking ceiling tiles that have even fallen while visitors walk down the halls.

General Manager Michael Tipton says the roof is the first thing they want to fix in the MPEC, “The exhibition hall roof alone is a $1 million.”

If the leaking in the MPEC was not enough there are large puddles of water on the floors of the Ag Center.

There are also tons of damaged animal stalls, which means Tim Shafer has had to turn away some events because the equipment could potential injure animals.

“Our stalls are so outdated they’re plywood. We have the Junior Livestock Show down there, and you know I have to scrounge to get panel that we’re not going to get something hurt on,” Shafer said.

Having to turn away events due to building issues makes it even harder for the MPEC to bring in revenue.

A proposition asking voters to approve an additional 2% tax rate for hotel and motel visitors in the city could bring in $550,000-a-year which would help the MPEC with improvement projects.

“Putting a new roof on is not going to come out of Spectra’s pocket, and I don’t want to see it come out of the tax payer’s pocket. This is the easiest way to do it. If we can get these facilities back in good shape, we can get these giant events here,” Tipton stated.

If the proposition passes, the rate would go up to 15 percent. For example, the total tax for a hotel room that costs $50 would go up by $1 and a hotel room at $150 would go up by $3.

Voters could be asked to approve that hike before the end of the year.

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