By Ann Jantz, wyo4news.com
Sweetwater County, Wyoming — Project proposals to be considered for Specific Purpose Tax funding keep rolling in, but the cost of the numerous projects has the Sweetwater County Commission worried voters may not agree to the large price tag.
This hesitancy from the commissioners was voiced at their regular meeting Tuesday, when they heard the Sweetwater Events Complex project list.
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Sweetwater Event Complex Executive Director Larry Lloyd asked the county to sponsor $24,085,103 million in complex upgrades, to be funded by the specific purpose tax. Three projects were proposed, including:
- Exhibit Hall expansion and renovation at a total cost of $6,780,000. This project will include updating and modernizing the current facility, such as floor and wall coverings and acoustical improvements. It would also include installing additional sliding wall systems to allow space customization. The lobby would also be opened up and approximately 8,000 square feet would be added to the building, 25-50 square feet to the front and 50 square feet to the back.
- Indoor Arena building renovation and build an additional Indoor Arena to accommodate the number of events that are planned in this part of the complex. The total cost would be $16,170,000. The building upgrade would allow for multiple uses including trade shows, 4H and FFA events, car shows, equine events, rallies and more, according to the supporting document in the commissioners’ packet.
- Water System upgrade at a total cost of $1,135,103. This project would “ensure all safety requirements for fire flow. A second water line would also be added on the southwest part of the property, to complete a loop of fresh water throughout the property.
Lloyd said he was not at the commission meeting to talk about “any issues that don’t pertain to quality of life – these are all quality of life issues.” He noted Exhibit Hall use has increased by 27% and Indoor Arena use by 30%.
“It’s really about being a part of the economic well-being of the community,” Lloyd said.
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Lloyd added some figures to the mix. The Events Complex this year has brought in $68 million to the county. This figure includes the National High School Finals Rodeo, which will not return to the area for several years. Lloyd, however, said the rodeo “put us on the map” and requests to use the facility keep streaming in.
He called the Events Complex a unique asset for the community. “We’ve made a destination facility,” he said.
Commission Chairman Wally Johnson commended Lloyd and his crew at the Events Complex for all they’ve accomplished, but noted Lloyd was asking for a third of what the commissioners were hoping to propose as the tax amount – $80 million
And then there’s how it appears on the ballot and whether the voters will approve it.
“We have a daunting task ahead of us,” Commissioner Roy Lloyd said. His worry is many of the projects that have been proposed can be considered vital but are costly, and voters may have “sticker shock” and not vote for the tax in its entirety.
Johnson cautioned about the perception people may have about such a large tax amount.
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“We don’t want people to think we are imposing a permanent tax,” he said.
The commissioners will continue taking project requests at their mid-month meeting, Oct. 15.
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