Galveston Hotel & Lodging Association Questionaire
HOT Tax
What is your opinion on the excessive use of HOT dollars for city services such as security and sanitation for events like Mardi Gras? Would you support limiting the use of hotel occupancy taxes for this event so that it does not exceed the amount of hotel tax that is generated by the event? What changes would you support to make Mardi Gras more affordable for the Island?
I believe Mardi Gras should be a “pay as you go” event; I support limiting the use of hotel occupancy taxes for the event so that it doesn’t exceed the amount of hotel tax that is generated by the event. Security and clean up costs are too expensive. The better plan would be to negotiate with local police a reduced hourly compensation for this work and to shop bids from private waste haulers to clean up after the event. We should not pay to our own employees exaggerated fees. We are all in this together: the idea behind Mardi Gras is to advertise the Island well, generate sales tax and hotel tax receipts and enhance the culture of the Island. It is not an event to offset or remedy City budget woes.
How do you plan to distribute the HOT Tax trickle down (the excess revenue that goes to the city after operations, maintenance, and required reserve for GICC) from the Galveston Island Convention Center?
It should be used to enhance seawall amenities. It should not go to the City’s general fund.
Would you support finding alternative revenues other than hotel occupancy tax for the Park Board since the beaches and parks are primarily used by local residents and regional day visitors? Would you consider using part of the existing sales tax for such programs?
I believe it’s time to seriously consider merging the Park Board’s administration into the City Administration. I’m not suggesting that for some political coup de gras; rather, I understand GH&LA’s concern that City politics is at play when disbursing Hotel occupancy taxes. I think that games can best be ended by ending the competition between Park Board and City Administration. So, My desire is to see not one penny go for administrative duplication; every HOT penny should go to beach and tourism enhancing purposes and sales tax pennies should go to city needs. Thus, I would not consider using existing sales tax for Park Board programs. But, to be fair, I will also require the City to use all HOT tax proceeds for tourism and not use it for City budget needs. Until the blending of Park Board function into the City occurs, I would consider a sales tax option for tourism needs if it were passed by the voters as a 4B or similar tax.
Salvation Army of Galveston
The City of Galveston and the Historical Society have wanted the Salvation Army to move from the 23rd Street and Broadway location for some time. To this end, the Salvation Army has raised $5M to build a new Center of Hope on 51st Street and are hoping to break ground in June of this year.
There are a few hurdles they need to overcome:
a. There is concrete, brick, and rebar buried at the building site that would cost in excess of $300K to remove. b. The city storm sewer on 51st street is old, in disrepair, and 18” wide. The new Salvation Army site needs a 24” line. c. Both the City and the Housing Authority have indicated that they do not have available funds to assist in these infrastructure costs.
Would you support a bond proposition, find funding in the City’s budget, and/or help the Salvation Army obtain grants to address these two costs for their Center of Hope?
I am on the Advisory Board for the Salvation Army, so I am eager to see the building move successfully. As mayor, I would make it a priority to move the Salvation Army. I would do whatever is necessary to keep this move on schedule. I believe the Salvation Army can raise the $300,000 needed to address the concrete, brick and rebar issues. That’s their property now and they bought it – that is appropriate for the owner to address. But the City must be responsible for being of service to improvement to those who are doing so much to help themselves, and The Salvation Army is a first class example. I would strongly advocate to my fellow councilmembers that it is the City’s duty, frankly, to provide appropriate infrastructure to complete this move. The City should pay for the storm sewer enlargement. So, I intend to lead the effort to find the funds on the City budget. The “halo effect” of moving the Salvation Army from the middle fo Broadway will more than offset the one-time cost. In fact, once we get the Salvation Army moved we can use the former site at 23rd and Broadway for the best Broadway redevelopment project seen in decades. It is a “must-do” situation.
Park Board of Galveston
Of the nine Park Board positions, currently only two are tourism industry representatives. Since the Park Board is almost fully funded by hotel occupancy tax, would you support having four or five tourism industry representatives on this nine member board?
Yes I would. I believe more tourism representation on the Park Board is appropriate.
Seawall Parking
Do you support the implementation of meters along the Seawall for parking or another form of paid parking for this area?
Yes. The City has several plans, developed by numerous “blue-ribbon” committees over the years. We don’t need another committee: I support Council and Manager developing a plan that incorporates some of the best choices found in these many plans: My personal vision is that we park all cars on the north side so we can enhance the view of the Gulf and expand the space on the seawall available for recreation. I support surface lots, a few appropriately placed two-story parking lots and retail-accommodating angled parking on the north side – all paid. I support free or reduced-fee parking for locals.
City Beautification
Do you have a plan for addressing excessive litter within the city as well as the improvement of blighted areas?
Miscellaneous
What are the priorities or immediate goals that you would implement within the first 90 days if you are elected Mayor?
Here are three priorities: (1) Return to a separate workshop before the Council meeting. This present Council’s worst decision has been abandoning its workshop session prior to its regular meeting. Council must workshop an agenda before debating action items. This is as important for staff as it is for Council. Due to this change in Council procedure, the meetings go on way too long, staff are “summoned” to appear before Council, collegial examination of matters is non-existent and a tangibly hostile environment has neutralized Council’s ability to lead. Open, scheduled workshop sessions can certainly be videotaped, even if in a less “produced” fashion. (2) Identify five to ten objective criteria to form the basis of an annual Manager review (tons of litter and debris collected, miles of streets paved, number of curbs reconstructed, number of blighted properties repaired or razed, number of permits issued, number of population, etc.) – the Council should grade the City Manager every year (and in the first year we should do two reviews six months apart) and the voters will grade the Council at the polls every two years. (3) Pass a budget adjustment action item for the current year budget to fund the Galveston Litter Patrol (approximately $80,000 for the remaining months of the budget year). The GLP will be charged with a seven-day- a week presence on Harborside Dr, Downtown, Broadway, 25th Street, and Seawall Blvd. The Patrol will pick up litter, causing an immediate improvement in the Island’s appearance. I will personally ask the Galveston Housing Authority to do the same on its properties and its Section 8 properties owned by members of its landlord roster (I will make support of litter abatement one of several preconditions to my appointing future Housing Commissioners). I will ask Council to direct the Park Board to double its litter abatement on the beach. We will not see an overflowing trash can on the beach every again. We can achieve this within the first 90 days of my first term.
