By BJ Austin, KERA News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-824199.mp3
Dallas, TX – Dallas voters will decide on a city-owned convention center hotel, and whether voter approval should be necessary for million-dollar city subsidies to private developers. KERA's BJ Austin reports on the two items.
The City Council voted today to put the issues on the May 9th ballot after proponents got the required number of petition signatures.
Mayor Tom Leppert says these two items are bad news for the city of Dallas.
Leppert: A combination of both of these will ensure that Dallas is not going to be competitive; that we're not going to have a strong economy; that we're not going to compete with other cities.
Brooks Love, with Citizens Against a Taxpayer Owned Hotel, won't say how much the group expects to spend on the campaign to stop the city's plans for a convention center hotel. But it has deep pockets in chief backer, Dallas developer Harlan Crow.
Love: We're going to have a very vigorous campaign to make sure the public is fully educated on this issue, then let the voters decide.
Mayor Leppert also promises an all-out campaign to defeat both proposals.