City won t renew contract with Spectra Venue for MPEC management timesrecordnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from timesrecordnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
COVID-19 slowed improvements at MPEC, auditorium
City leaders have not forgotten voters approved a two percent increase in the Hotel Occupancy Tax – it’s just that COVID-19 came along.
Wichitans signed off on the tax increase in November 2019. It was earmarked for improvements and renovations at the MPEC complex and Memorial Auditorium.
“We got a list of projects, the highest priorities being replacement of the roofs at the MPEC Exhibit Hall and the Bridwell Ag Center,” City Manager Darron Leiker said.
The arrival of the pandemic slowed business at hotels and reduced money generated by the hotel tax substantially.
“We have not started,” Leiker said.
Law may require city to lower property tax rate
Wichita Falls homeowners are bracing for a higher tax bite after property appraisals rose significantly this year but the tax rate from the City of Wichita Falls may go down.
“I think there’s a pretty good chance we will have to lower the tax rate,” City Manager Darron Leiker said.
That’s because of new laws on property taxes the Texas Legislature passed in 2019.
Under the old law, local governments could realize an increase in their annual property tax revenue of 8 percent over the previous year before residents could petition for a vote to roll back the tax rate.
New system speeding up Covid-19 vaccinations timesrecordnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from timesrecordnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.