City council approved an incentive package for a group that plans to build a 4-star hotel near the airport yesterday May 28, 2013.
It would be nice for El Paso to offer a 4-star hotel. It will however take business away from existing facilities.
The tragedy is that the incentive package apparently includes relief from the hotel occupancy tax for years 4 through 15.
So the new hotel will not pay it’s full share of the tax. Neither will the competitors who will lose business.
Remember that the hotel occupancy tax is the primary source of funding for the new ball park. We already know that hotel occupancy rates are down. Now we are going to hurt receipts even more.
Then to make matters even worse, the city wants the El Paso Independent School District (EPISD) to move it’s central office from land near the proposed hotel. It appears that the hotel project needs for the land near it to be available for the types of businesses that normally surround a property of this type.
The net effect of this is that EPISD thinks that it will need to raise and spend $40 million to replace it’s facility.
Ouch
We have taken on a lot of debt lately. Now the plan is to reduce our income and take on more debt. What about the children?
We deserve better
Brutus
elpasospeak 
The Marriot, the Radisson, the Windham (formerly Airport Hlton) have all been in the area for years and years and the EPISD property was never an obstacle to them…so, now this new hotel says it wants to control the surrounding property so it will “be available for businesses that normally surround a property of this type.” Wow! Sounds like somebody (wealthy investors?) want a ritzy, glitzy neighborhood along with their “full-amenities-in-every-room-“4 star hotel…are they really too good for the local fare that’s there now? Does not the same blood run through their veins as everybody else??? Why is this city dealing with these high class, self-important, bigots who want an “exclusive” neighborhood, yet also demand to be excluded from paying their fair share of taxes??? The Fountains, the Ballpark, the 4 star Hotel, and the neighborhood to boot! …and the little people will pay to add to the coffers of the rich! Ridiculous!
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The raping of the El Paso taxpayer while our city ouncil serve as pimps
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