Last week, we saw a healthy discussion regarding the city’s Advertising and Promotion Commission’s decision to spend $15,000 promoting a temporary ice skating rink.
The idea, which was presented to the A&P Commission by Bob Tarren and Pam Griffin from the Murphy Arts District, is to turn the MAD Amphitheater into an ice skating rink November through early January. The majority of the expenses for the rink would be funded by MAD. It’s definitely an ambitious idea, and one that would utilize the amphitheater space during the winter months.
The story generated quite a few comments on Facebook, some positive, others questioning the idea. These kinds of debates are (mostly) healthy. It’s important to be concerned about how tax dollars are spent, about how to best attract tourists (and their tax dollars) to our community. Not every idea is going to be the most successful, not every plan will resonate with all or even most residents.
But it is important to not dwell too long on the negative. Concerns about spending money on an ice rink rather than infrastructure are misplaced. The money that will be spent on advertising for the temporary ice rink comes from a 3 percent hotel/motel room tax (dollars from outside our city). By spending a portion of that money attracting more visitors with events, concerts, etc., the concept is that El Dorado will see a strong return on investment.
In other words, A&P funds are earmarked for things like the ice rink, not roads. While the wisdom of that is certainly up for debate, cities across the United States use a similar model successfully. If you think the money could be better spent on something other than an ice rink, that’s a conversation worth having. What ideas do you have? What do you think could bring people from outside of Union County? The A&P Commission meets next on Oct. 1 at 2 p.m. in the second floor conference room at city hall. You could share your ideas there. Or, email them to us. We’d love to read them and share them.
The News-Times Editorial Board is comprised by general manager Rita Haldeman and managing editor Caleb Slinkard.