SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Spurs’ home opener at Frost Bank Center was not just about basketball, but also about two significant propositions that could determine the team’s future home. As early voting continues for the Nov. 4 election, the Bexar County Elections Department reports that thousands have already cast their votes.
Proposition A proposes raising the hotel occupancy tax by up to 2% to fund a nearly $200 million redevelopment of the Frost Bank Center and rodeo grounds on the east side. Proposition B would allocate hotel tax revenue toward a proposed sports arena project, allowing the county to use more than $300 million of venue tax money for a new Spurs arena downtown.
Fans at the game expressed strong support for the propositions. “This is extremely important to San Antonio. It’s extremely important to downtown. It’s extremely important to the economy and the future of the Spurs. We have a young, wonderful team that is going to be excellent for years to come,” said Jeff Ray.
However, not everyone agrees. COPS/Metro, a local group, argues that building the arena could lead to additional costs beyond tourism taxes. Voters will ultimately decide the outcome during early voting, which ends this Friday, and on election day, Nov. 4.