Port Aransas voters have approved a proposition to raise the local hotel occupancy tax to fund a venue project to fix up the Community Center, expand the Civic Center and upgrade streetscapes in Port Aransas, according to election results posted tonight (Tuesday, Nov. 4).
Returns posted by the Nueces County Elections Department showed that 469 voters cast ballots in favor of the proposition, with 285 voting against it.
The proposition will increase the local hotel-occupancy tax 2 percent to pay for the fixes and the upgrades. That will increase the rate from 13 to 15 percent.
Customers pay the HOT tax as part of their bills when they stay at short-term rentals and hotels in Port Aransas.
The extra HOT tax revenue will be used to pay for future streetscape improvements and reimburse the city for Civic Center and Community Center remodeling that’s already underway.
The $9.5 million Civic Center project involves expanding the building by 8,000 square feet, adding conference rooms and offices and enlarging the kitchen to allow more room for food preparation.
Interior renovations include painting, adding a new ceiling, a stage overhaul and remodeling the foyer.
The City Hall expansion happening in tandem with the Civic Center expansion won’t be funded with the proposed proposition.
City Manager David Parsons said the streetscape and pedestrian facility project would address some of the city’s main streets: West Cotter Avenue to Station Street; Alister Street from Cotter Avenue to Avenue G; West Avenue G to the beach; and all of Avenue A.
The work would update landscaping, sidewalks, lighting, trash cans, street furniture and other elements.
Streets could be reconfigured for various purposes and could include parklets, bikeshare changes, “traffic calming” measures and relocated curbs, according to election information issued by the city.
(Watch for more in the Nov. 6 edition of the South Jetty. The edition will include news on which proposed state constitutional amendments were approved by Texas voters.)
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