Flushed out early by Fresno politician, Bulldog Stadium tax proposal may never fly
Not to compare Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias to a golden retriever or cocker spaniel, but he does a fairly good impression of a flushing dog.
During Thursday’s City Council meeting, Arias let it drop that Fresno State and a few corporate partners are pushing for a citywide sales tax to provide much-needed renovations to Bulldog Stadium with the hope of placing the measure on the November ballot.
“I just went public to flush it out, before it goes any further,” Arias replied Friday when asked why he, a member of the Fresno State Alumni Association’s Board of Directors, spoke up about something the measure’s backers would’ve assuredly preferred been kept quiet. At least until they were good and ready to make the announcement themselves.
Instead, Arias flushed the proposal into the open. Before it was ready to fly on its own.
Fresno State’s official statement, issued in the wake of Arias’ comments, makes that clear enough without saying so implicitly.
So what are we left with and what do we know? According to Arias, he and other Fresno elected officials (including Mayor Jerry Dyer) have taken meetings with consultants in order to gauge political support for a 15-year, $150 million sales tax that will fund upgrades to the stadium and other sports facilities.
Other sources tell me the amount has yet to be determined, but from here $150 million sounds like a lot of dough. Remember those renderings of a sleek, modern suite tower on the stadium’s west side unveiled in 2015? That project’s initial costs were pegged at $60 million, and at the time many thought then-Athletic Director Jim Bartko (RIP) was being extravagant.
Taxpayer-subsidized sports venues, either direct subsidies used for construction or long-term money in the form of tax breaks, are common in pro sports. But city residents ponying up to renovate a public university’s football stadium? That appears to be an unprecedented ask.
The closest example I could find, oddly enough, involves the school Fresno State fans hate to be confused with: Florida State University. (Many Bulldogs fans take exception to being ID’ed as FSU, when the school’s official name is California State University, Fresno.)
Last July, Florida State succeeded in obtaining $20 million worth of sales tax dollars to help fund $120 million worth of renovations to 70-year-old Doak Walker Stadium. Where is the other $100 million coming from? The university committed to raising that money privately.
How do Fresno residents benefit?
That’s the rub, is it not? If Fresno State officials could raise the money themselves, without having to ask for a public handout, they most assuredly would. This is a tacit admission of their failure.
So much for the hope that bringing back football coach Jeff Tedford and several assistants whose names are so near and dear to the Red Wave would help loosen donor purse strings.
Since we don’t really know what a tax proposal would look like, how the money would be spent or what Fresno residents (especially those who could care less about the Bulldogs and sports in general) would get out of this deal, it’s probably best to reserve judgment.
Gotta be honest, though. As badly as Fresno State needs to fix its aging, dilapidated football stadium, my first thought was that this bird will never leave the ground.
Here’s something else that needs pointing out: The forces behind this proposal have yet to file paperwork. Still, they appear to be many of the same folks who in 2018 helped fund the opposition to Measure P. Guess that must mean new taxes, even those that don’t benefit public safety, are fine and dandy just as long as certain developers and construction companies stand to benefit.
Doesn’t get any more Fresno than that.
