Arlington council members unanimously voted to place a referendum on the November 2 ballot, asking voters to increase sales and other taxes to pay for half of the retractable-roof, 75,000-seat stadium that would be among the NFL's largest, reports ESPN.com
Mayor Robert Cluck said Arlington, halfway between Dallas and Fort Worth, would be the ideal location for the venue, which would probably be built next to the Texas Rangers' Ameriquest Field. Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones has said the team will not change the Dallas name.
But not everyone in Arlington is happy about the plan. More than 20 people spoke against the proposal, many saying that taxpayers should not subsidise an entertainment venue. Some said the city already had budget problems.
Members of Concerned Taxpayers of Arlington are urging residents to vote against the deal, which they say would not spur the economic development or bring the other benefits touted by the city and team.
Group members say they are still waiting for the benefits predicted before the Rangers' $191 million baseball stadium was built in 1994. The city's debt on that project has since been retired.
Arlington would pay no more than $325 million for the football stadium. If approved by voters, the funding would come from a one-half percentage-point sales tax increase, a two-percentage-point increase in hotel-occupancy taxes and a five-percentage-point increase in car-rental taxes.
The Cowboys would play home games for 30 years in Arlington; pay $2 million in rent annually at the new stadium, with two 10-year lease extensions allowed; and give the city five per cent of any naming-rights deal.
Arlington officials said revenue from user fees, including a 10 per cent ticket tax and a $3 parking tax, would go to the team.
The city could add $238 million a year to its economy and gain an estimated $7 billion in benefits over the next 30 years, according to a study commissioned by Arlington officials.
