| September 23, 2006
The Johnson County Parks and Recreation Department
has lowered the benefits of the soccer fields after neighborhood
groups challenged figures quoted by the department. Previous "Questions and Answers"
written by the department and widely circulated, stated that
the soccer fields would bring in $36 million dollars in tourist
revenue. However, this was wrong and was misquoted from
page 91 of the Feasibility Study that supports this project.
Parks and Rec has since lowered the figure to $24 million--and even
this number is wrong: the $24 million still includes stadium revenue, not just soccer field revenue.
[See JCPRD question #11 on their FAQ page]
The $36 million figure was for 30 soccer fields--not 24, as is the
case here - and included both soccer field and stadium revenue. See page 91
of this Feasibility Study
The $36 million of tourist revenue also included nearly $4 million
of local money--which should be removed because this is
not outside tourist money coming into the area.
The new number being issued, $24 million, is still incorrect.
This still includes tourist dollars from the soccer fields
AND the stadium.
Neighborhood groups call on the Parks
and Recreation Dept to please give correct information
on this project.
Furthermore, they mislead the public with this statement:
"In just over three years of operation it is estimated these guests will generate revenues exceeding the youth Soccer Park’s acquisition and development costs."
They know full well that none of this money is going to be used to pay for soccer field acquisition and development. Johnson County taxpayers will be paying for this project for the next 20 years. And even the taxes generated by the soccer field tourists will go to pay off the stadium, NOT the soccer fields.
To complicate the matter, Overland Park has stated that the Feasibility study, the sole basis of this project, will
be revised and updated with proper figures for this location. But this update
won't be available until November or December--well after the Nov 7 vote!!
Meanwhile, Johnson County taxpayers will be asked to vote on the soccer
fields and commit to 20 years of property tax increases to pay for this project
without knowing the real numbers involved.
What's wrong with this picture?
Reported by Shirley Phillips
[return to top]
|