OPINION: Voting Yes On May 4 Is The Right Thing To Do
City Councilman and Chairman of the Finance Committee Myron Gookin urges everyone to vote “yes” on May 4 to reallocate 12.5% of the community betterment local option sales tax money to help the Fairfield Arts and Convention Center. Here’s why.
Letter from FACC Board Chair Bob Moore
A letter from FACC Board Chair Bob Moore updates you on our fundraising efforts and provides ideas on how you can help.
Why Bankruptcy is Not an Option
FACC Board menber Tom Makeig explains how the board came up with the reorganization plan and why in its view, bankruptcy is unnecessary.
How Fairfield May Fund the Center and Why
Fairfield Councilman Myron Gookin clarifies how the city would fund the Center and provides additional insight as a lifelong resident.
Why the Center is for Sale
The board of the Center put it up for sale at the request of Iowa State Bank. Why? Read on!
Features
May 4th Election Quick Facts
On May 4th the future of the Fairfield Arts and Convention Center is on the line.
Voters will be asked to vote for the City of Fairfield to purchase the Center at a fraction of what it is worth, with funds from the existing Local Option Sales Tax. The FACC is owned by a registered not-for-profit, a 501(c)(3) which will transfer ownership – but not management – to the City in the event of a “yes” vote.
The City’s investment will allow the Center to contribute to Fairfield’s economy and quality of life without raising taxes!
Here’s Where to Vote on May 4th – 7 am to 8 pm
1st Ward – Fairfield High School
2nd Ward- Lincoln Elementary School
3rd Ward-Nazarene Family Center
4th Ward-Courthouse
5th Ward-Pence Elementary School
If the vote is Yes:
•The City will invest $650,000 to purchase the Civic Center building and property from Iowa State Bank.
•Fairfield Arts and Convention Center, Inc. will pay off all outstanding debt and contribute $500,000 to the purchase of the Civic Center from the bank with $950,000 which has already been raised!
•The City will fund its portion of the purchase via an 8-9 year bond issue.
•The Bond will be paid off from 12.5% of the Local Option Sales Tax revenues (one-half of the portion already allocated to community betterment.)
•Fairfield Arts and Convention Center, Inc. will lease the building from the City and operate it independently.
•Taxes will not increase.
•Fairfield Local Option Sales Tax revenues will continue to grow.
•Projects such as streets and sewer repairs will not be affected.
•Our community will continue to benefit from the entertainment events, meeting and event facilities and the $2-$3MM in annual visitor revenues the Center brings to Fairfield.
Looking for the latest FACC business plan? A brief summary may be found here.
What if there is a No Vote?
As much as we don’t want to talk about it, it is a possibility. So what will happen?
–The Center will most likely go dark for 6 months to two years with no guarantee that it will remain in local hands.
–The momentum we’ve established will be interrupted and there will be an expensive, long, and difficult process to get the Center to be functioning in a positive manner again.
–Our friends, business associates, and businesses who have donated to the Center will lose their investments.
–The people working at the Center will likely lose their jobs.
–Groups who rely on the Center for their events, such as the Great Prairie Area Education Agency will have to find a replacement venue for the meetings and events they’ve already booked at the Center.
–The Convention and Visitor’s will lose its office space.
–The First Fridays ArtWalk will lose its office space.
–The Fairfield Artist’s Association will lose its studio.
–Community groups will lose the opportunity to use low-cost, sometimes free, performance space.
–The City’s Local Option Sales Tax revenues will decrease.
–Fairfield’s reputation will be damaged.
–The community will lose $2-$3MM in annual visitor revenues.
–The community will lose multiple entertainment options.
–The community will lose a flexible, first-rate meeting and event space.
