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The Vietnam Memorial traveling wall drew thousands of visitors last spring when it stopped at the Kaufman County War Memorial. Now, county veterans hope to make it a permanent monument.
Not just for patriotic reasons, but to create a tourism destination for the county.
“This would be the biggest thing we have in Kaufman County,” said Lee Ayres, executive director of the Kaufman County Economic Development Corp. “It’s not just going to affect Kaufman, but Terrell and Forney and Crandall and the other cities as well.”
EDC directors are confident enough of the project’s success to pledge EDC money, but that needs voter approval.
Kaufman voters will decide Saturday whether to allow the EDC to spend $100,000, already raised from sales tax, on the project.
In addition, voters will select three city council members from four candidates. Incumbents Jeff Council and Barry Ratcliffe are seeking re-election along with Jess Murrell and Steve Cooper.
Based on early voting, turnout is expected to be very light. Only 133 cast ballots early. Early voting often makes up more than half of ballots cast.
Saturday’s polling place is First Baptist Church, 302 S. Washington St.. It will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The county, who is overseeing the election, plans to post returns on kaufmancounty.net.
Mr. Ayres said he has been asked questions about using tax money to support the Wall.
The money does not come from city property taxes or sales taxes, he emphasized. The EDC receives a half-cent sales tax to provide incentives for economic development and money from that fund will be used.
EDC funds can not be used for city projects such as street repair or other city maintenance, he said.
Since this is a project to bring in tourists, Kaufman voters much approve the expenditure.
Mr. Ayres said the EDC has the money in the bank and that spending it on the Wall will not interfere with other projects.
The committee working to bring the Wall already has raised $140,000 -- $90,000 in pledges and $50,000, a loan, from the county.
Buying the Wall, a near-full-size replica, will cost $250,000. The foundation overseeing the park also would build a visitors center, gift shop, restrooms and landscape the park.
“To do a Cadillac Memorial Wall Park is going to take about $750,000. A Taj Mahal, about a million,” Mr. Ayres said.
But he estimates it will bring as many as 250,000 visitors a year to the site and add about $40 million to the county economy.
“We’re not donating it (the money). We’re investing in the community,” he said. Based on his projections, the EDC will recoup the investment from increased sales taxes in less than a year.
© Copyright 2005-2008 by Kaufman County Online
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| Last Updated: Jul 15th, 2008 - 00:11:40 |
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