Plano voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to authorize five types of taxes to help finance a proposed Dallas Stars arena at The Shops at Willow Bend, including charges that local residents could pay when they rent cars, book hotel rooms or attend arena events.
Supporters describe the proposal as a way to bring the Stars to Plano without increasing the city’s property tax rate. But the broader financing framework also includes tax increment funding and potential city contributions toward future arena improvements.
The debate sharpened Friday when Stars President and CEO Brad Alberts defended Proposition A in an interview with FOX 4.
“There are no hidden costs to taxpayers. We are responsible for the operating costs,” Alberts said.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Plano City Council approved a nonbinding letter of intent with the Stars in June, along with a tax increment reinvestment zone and other measures to advance the project.
What voters would authorize
The election ordinance labels Proposition A “THIS IS A TAX INCREASE” and authorizes these maximum rates:
- Short-term vehicle rentals in Plano: 5% of rental receipts.
- Hotel stays in Plano: an additional 2% of the room price, bringing the combined hotel tax rate to 15%.
- Event parking at the venue: $3 per vehicle.
- Event tickets at the venue: 10% of the ticket price.
- Venue use: $5,000 per game on each member of a major league team playing a professional game there.
Those are ceilings the proposition would authorize. The measure does not authorize a property tax increase or change Plano’s general sales tax rate.
The taxes attach to transactions, however, rather than a customer’s place of residence. A Plano resident buying an arena ticket or renting a car locally could pay them, too.
Karen Dubrow, a resident opposing the measure, described that concern to FOX 4: “I have rented cars when my car was in the shop.”
Public funding beyond the ballot
Plano’s June letter of intent contemplated a $700 million city contribution toward an arena with development costs of at least $1 billion, subject to final agreements and council approval. It identified tax increment revenues and other legally available funds as financing sources.
Tax increment financing dedicates revenue growth within a designated area to project costs. The June framework contemplated using property and sales tax increments, meaning the proposed public contribution extended beyond taxes on visitors and eventgoers.
Under that framework, Plano would own the arena and site, while Dallas Sports & Entertainment, the Stars’ parent organization, would lease them for an initial 30 years and retain arena operating revenue, including naming rights and sponsorships.
The company would handle operations and routine maintenance. The letter also contemplated city contributions toward long-term capital repairs, replacements and improvements, with funding terms to appear in later agreements.
These provisions describe a preliminary negotiating framework, not a completed financing contract. They distinguish day-to-day operating expenses from the public investment contemplated for construction and the building’s longer-term needs.
Supporters make their case
Victory Green Plano PAC, which supports Proposition A, argues that redevelopment would attract visitors, jobs and spending while creating a city-owned facility for school and community events.
Alberts told FOX 4 that the arena would host 60 to 70 non-Stars events annually and that the surrounding entertainment district would generate year-round revenue for Plano.
Early voting runs Oct. 19-30. Election Day is Nov. 3.
