CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — It was election day for the City of Kingsville and on their ballot was their Proposition A, different than Corpus Christi's Prop A. The proposition passed 783 votes to 492 votes, with 61% of voters saying yes.
Proposition A for the City of Kingsville is aimed at converting the iconic Henrietta Memorial Center into a nature and event center. It involves the creation of a venue tax.
Proposition A would allow a 2% Hotel Occupancy Tax on those who stay at hotels or short-term rentals within city limits. It will not impact city residents. The city estimates that the venue tax will bring in up to $185,000 a year.
"I think it’s going to be great for tourism, great for kids. Its going to be an opportunity for the kids to go in and not just see birds and butterflies, but all the wildlife here in Kingsville. It's a big win for Kingsville. We're going to do it right. The community is really going to enjoy it," City of Kingsville Mayor Sam Fugate said.
Through state law, a venue tax can only be used for approved venue projects. Similarly, a hotel occupancy tax can only be used for tourism-based projects in the city.
The King Ranch Museum currently owns the Henrietta Memorial Center. It will re-locate to a different location downtown. This will allow the city to lease the area for the new nature and event center and provide another attraction for the city, while keeping history in place.
"It's a positive thing. I think a lot of folks come to Kingsville for it's history. Anything nature and for the tourists and for the town is a great thing," Kingsville woman and voter Karen Aldrich said.
Other voters also shared their excitement for Proposition A.
"We have children that don't live here, but when they do come, we like to take them around the city. It would be very nice if this building is updated. I think it's a great thing to improve existing buildings for the future of our children," Kingsville woman and voter Rosalinda Alvarez said.
With the win of Proposition A, the city can now leverage the funds coming from the tax to seek other private/ public partnerships.
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