The head of the Arlington Convention and Visitors Bureau offered some new numbers to bolster claims that this year's ice-marred Super Bowl was a big success. At a legislative hearing in Austin, Jay Burress said hotel occupancy rates around the game were 95 percent and hotel revenue was up 1,100 percent over the previous year. Burress was testifying for a bill that would expand a state trust fund to help lure the Academy of Country Music Awards show to Cowboys Stadium next year. The measure also would include national political conventions - meaning that taxpayer money from the fund could be used in the future help locals lure the quadrennial Democratic or Republican political confabs to Texas. The earliest that could happen is 2016.
As we reported today, the trust fund uses tax money to help communities host special events. In effect, the state projects how much in extra taxes would be generated and gives that to local jurisdictions in advance to pay for some of the event's costs. Critics of the fund raised questions at Wednesday's hearing. Austin filmmaker Todd Wroblewski challenged Burress's optimistic hotel figures - citing reports that snow and icy weather disrupted events Super Bowl week and caused cancellations. Wroblewski questioned whether local boosters were promoting use of the taxpayer fund with figures that don't match reality. The Senate Economic Development Committee approved the bill 5-0 and sent to the full Senate for action.
Source: http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/03/arlington-officials-report-hot.html
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