Council places 3% hotel‑motel tax with 35‑year sunset on April ballot to fund convention and event center

Springfield City Council voted to place a proposed 3% increase to the hotel‑motel tax on the April 7, 2026 ballot, with language that includes a 35‑year sunset and financing assumptions that staff described to the council.

City Manager (addressed as "Mister Cameron") told the council he and staff held more than 20 listening sessions and surveyed 1,233 respondents; while a plurality previously opposed the measure, the manager said a revised proposal with more specificity—location in downtown, renderings, parking/transportation plans and a sunset—produced substantially more conditional support. He told council the pro forma uses a 4% nominal growth assumption, and staff modeled a $145 million borrowing scenario that could be increased toward a $175 million hard cap; an additional $30 million in state support would bring the project to an estimated $205 million total.

Visit Springfield director Mark Hecke urged the council to approve the ballot question, saying tourism generates significant local economic activity and that the city is losing events the proposed center would capture. "It is annually generates over 1,100,000,000.0 in economic spending in our city," Hecke said, and he added that the center would help winter visitation and year‑round stability for businesses.

Council members pressed staff on financial assumptions, including the amount a 3% tax would generate at current occupancy levels (staff said roughly $4.5 million annually) and anticipated debt service ranges (staff estimated $8 million to $13 million depending on the year and growth). City staff committed to return on Jan. 26 with a communications and education plan and to provide conceptual architectural renderings by March 6 if the council proceeds.

What this means: The council did not appropriate construction money tonight; instead the vote sends a revised tax measure to voters on April 7, 2026. If voters approve the tax, the city anticipates using the revenue stream for debt service and related project costs while attempting not to rely on general fund dollars.

Attributions: Manager comments and survey numbers came from the city manager's presentation; economic impact figures and event demand were provided by Visit Springfield representatives during the public hearing.