Hell No to Status Quo

[shocker3]

I don't know why not, although they would need legislative approval (the county is at its 1 cent limit for levying a sales tax).
The county already levies a 1.5 mill levy property tax to help fund WSU.

The Arena sales tax was raising over $6 million a month during the last few months of the 30 month tax.

A six month county-wide one cent sales tax should raise between $35 and $40 million. :wsu_posters:

[Snapshot9]

I would be for a sales tax to bring back Football, and it's a pretty good idea.

Wichita is ultra conservative, or build it smaller and different than the original plans type government people in office. (Waterwalk for example, original plans vs what they are doing now). And look at what some consultants just recommended to bring downtown alive again, niche markets, gee, that was a hard one, wasn't it???? LOL kind of lame, if you ask me ...

I really don't think we have the leadership in place to bring back football, and it's a shame.

[Aargh]

Omaha taxpayers just spent over $150 million to build a new baseball stadium just for 2 weeks of college baseball a year.

And the taxpayers to the county south of them (Sarpy) are spending millions more to built a stadium for the Omaha Royals.

The Wichita community is more than capable of funding and supporting a football team at WSU.

We just need the leadership with the vision to make it happen. The sooner the better.

Would it be legal for the county to bring up a vote for a temporary 1% sales tax to be used as start up money for a football program at WSU? Just curious if thats a possibility. What was the total amount raised and time for the arena tax? I wonder what the community could raise for WSU football with say a 6 month temporary tax sales tax increase?

Again I don't even know if that would be legal even if the people of the county voted yes. I have no clue........

I was going to bring up a sales tax proposal. It's legal. A community can tax themselves for about anything they want to tax themselves for. WSU would have to agree to use the money for its intended purpose.

I would vote for it and I'm more fiscally conservative (politically) than most of the conservative Republican population on this board.

The tax would be earmarked for startup costs (ADES, give us a number). Then guarantee to make up any shortage in revenues (up to maybe $ 2 or 3 mill per year). Maybe throw a 10-year max on covering operating losses.

If the true value of a local college football team were evaluated (the economic impact of 20,000 people out spending money is significant), there is a lot of value to the community.

The huge majority of the money spent would go to scholarships. The community would be guaranteeing access to college education for 150 or 200 kids. Maybe some guarantee of a certain number of local kids getting scholarships each year. That could get sticky if the number was too big. Maybe 10 schollies spread among all sports affected by the addition of FB, including Title IX sports.

The city (or county) would have NO CONTROL over any aspect of WSU's athletic department - just the requirement that there was a football team.

I'd go for that. It would provide a reliable money flow that could support the program and not put the existing programs at risk. It would provide significant value to the community. It would be likely to bring more students to WSU than just those on the new teams (more economic impact).

For those proposing to play Texas in Wichita in front of 50K people - talk to your doctor - your meds aren't working. WSU could probably go TO Texas, get a great payday, and get beat 70-0 with Texas suiting up and playing the water boys, team managers, and cheerleaders.

Even that kind of drubbing for 5 years is 5 years away as WSU would have to work its way through the lower divisions to get to a level where a win for another team would count for a bowl invite.

[Ricardo del Rio]

I am glad to see a few, who are suggesting that money is actually required to support a renewed football program.

So now, two of the gritty questions:

1. Funds required?
2. Source of funds into perpetuity?

Footnote regarding Texas v. Wichita State:

Forget it.

[ISASO]

Wouldn't all the KU fans refuse to vote for and participate in this sales tax? They might go for it, however, if we took Dirty Lew Perkins off their hands.

[Ta town]

Wouldn't all the KU fans refuse to vote for and participate in this sales tax? They might go for it, however, if we took Dirty Lew Perkins off their hands.

I don't think there are a bunch of KU fans in sedgwick county sitting around thinking how to stop WSU from getting a football team.

[shockar25]

Wouldn't all the KU fans refuse to vote for and participate in this sales tax? They might go for it, however, if we took Dirty Lew Perkins off their hands.

I don't think there are a bunch of KU fans in sedgwick county sitting around thinking how to stop WSU from getting a football team.

Agreed. We're lucky if they recognize our existence. There are a few of those 'House Divided' license tags with WU and the chicken hawk on them but they are rare. They might oppose it just because their taxes would be higher, (after all, we already have 2 D1 football teams in the state, why would we need another?) but not in some sort of organized resistance to the plan.

[Ta town]

I would think a majority of them view WSU with the perspective of no threat (which obviously WSU wouldn't be). May even like the idea of having a college football game to go to on a fall saturday.

I remember people who voted against the arena but wanted it at the same time due to concerns that the "temporary" tax would not remain temporary. Well it was and by doing so provides the trust needed between county govt and the voters that a temporary tax can be just that.

I think a short term tax and I mean short as in months not years could be sold to the public. Then again make it a year long, divide the revenue 50/50. 1/2 for shox football, 1/2 for all the school districts in sedgwick county. Would get that commie teacher union and wichita poor behind it real quick. (before you point out Im for a tax and calling people commie at same time, note this is a tax to be voted on :))

[shox1989]

Yea we would have no chance against ku.


13-10

[Ashockalypse]

Yeah! Scoreboard!

[ShockerFever]

The sales tax idea has been brought up before and seems like it's too easy to be true. It's so simple and to most it would barely affect them over the course of 6 months.

But then again, we're talking about the city of Wichita/Sedgwick County.

[SpanglerFan316]

The sales tax idea has been brought up before and seems like it's too easy to be true. It's so simple and to most it would barely affect them over the course of 6 months.

But then again, we're talking about the city of Wichita/Sedgwick County.

The biggest problem with a sales tax for WSU athletics would be failing to get enough money. People might agree once for a special sales tax but only once; they would expect WSU to achieve success with this investment.

The special sales tax would need to cover football expenses and additional women's sports. Cessna Stadium, equipment, salaries, scholarships, etc. would need to come from ticket revenue, the initial tax money, gifts, etc. Double dipping would not be allowed.

It might be possible to have the special tax twice, once to form a FCS program and once to upgrade to FBS. This would only be possible if it was carefully and clearly spelled out in advance to the public.

[shocky]

Isn't there a mill levy tax that was used to make sure WU as debt free when we went public. Could that be used? I think it's still there. Does anyone have any knowledge of this?

I remember when the U requested state funds for remodeling Cessna Stadium. KU and KSU fans did not like the idea at all. I think we would get resistance from the public if we used taxpayer money. I like the idea of presenting it as a temporary tax and emphasize the economic benefits to the community. That alone may silence some naysayers.

[Ta town]

The sales tax idea has been brought up before and seems like it's too easy to be true. It's so simple and to most it would barely affect them over the course of 6 months.

But then again, we're talking about the city of Wichita/Sedgwick County.

The biggest problem with a sales tax for WSU athletics would be failing to get enough money. People might agree once for a special sales tax but only once; they would expect WSU to achieve success with this investment.

The special sales tax would need to cover football expenses and additional women's sports. Cessna Stadium, equipment, salaries, scholarships, etc. would need to come from ticket revenue, the initial tax money, gifts, etc. Double dipping would not be allowed.

It might be possible to have the special tax twice, once to form a FCS program and once to upgrade to FBS. This would only be possible if it was carefully and clearly spelled out in advance to the public.

well then, determine total amount needed and instead of duration of time being used as the guide line just say once we reach X amount of dollars the tax will go away. that way you don't have to double dip.

[Aargh]

Isn't there a mill levy tax that was used to make sure WU as debt free when we went public. Could that be used? I think it's still there. Does anyone have any knowledge of this?

I remember when the U requested state funds for remodeling Cessna Stadium. KU and KSU fans did not like the idea at all. I think we would get resistance from the public if we used taxpayer money. I like the idea of presenting it as a temporary tax and emphasize the economic benefits to the community. That alone may silence some naysayers.

That's still there. WSU applies that money to their general fund, which means it goes to academics.

When Carlos Mayans was mayor, he tried to force WSU to use that money for football. Mayans went to Beggs and tried to tell Beggs what he should do with the money. Beggs handed Mayans his ass on a platter. That didn't further the cause of bringing FB back to WSU.