Plano residents will have a say on the Dallas Stars arena this November.
The Plano City Council voted unanimously Monday to call for a venue tax election, putting the proposed funding mechanism for a new city-owned Stars arena before voters in November.
The proposition includes a series of targeted taxes that would only apply to specific transactions tied to the venue — not existing property tax rates for Plano residents. Those taxes include a short-term motor vehicle rental tax of up to 5%, a hotel occupancy tax increase of up to 2% bringing the maximum combined rate to 15%, an event parking tax of up to $3 per car, an admissions tax of up to 10% of ticket prices, and a venue facility use tax of up to $5,000 per game on each member of a major league team playing at the venue.
The Dallas Stars announced their intent to build a new arena at the site of the Shops at Willow Bend in June. Since then, city officials have hosted several community open houses to answer residents’ questions about the proposed development.
But not everyone is on board. Several residents voiced concerns Monday night about the impact a large-scale sports and entertainment complex would have on their neighborhoods.
“We did not choose Plano to live next to a 90-acre year-round sports and entertainment complex,” said resident Judith Walsh. “We respectfully ask the city council to pause the approval process and the November election, until council can commit to neighborhood protections — noise, lighting, parking, security, traffic abatement, power grid preservation.”
City officials stressed that the November election is a vote on the venue taxes only — not a final decision on whether the arena will be built.