Mayor Mahoney: Back To The Drawing Board after Sales Tax Rejection for Fargodome

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — The $140 million Fargodome renovation vote failed, sending the plan back to square one.

Voters were asked to approve a .25% increase in the sales tax and a 3% increase in the lodging tax to pay for the remodel and addition of conference space.

4,122 people voted for the project while 3,846 voted against it.  It needed 60% approval to pass and only got nearly 52%.

“We’re going to have to do a post-analysis of why you voted against it. And maybe we shouldn’t have bunched both the convention center and the Fargodome together,” said Mayor Tim Mahoney.

The results came in shortly before midnight.

The Fargodome remodel vote failed.

“Was disappointed with the amount of voters. I think if you had a higher number we may have had a more positive result. We’re just going to have to go back and look at what the people are not liking with the proposition,” said Mahoney.

Close to 8,000 ballots were cast.

According to the city, they needed a 60% vote to approve the measure, however, roughly around 52% voted yes.

The plan was to remodel the dome and add a 90-thousand square foot conference center through a tax increase.

“You kind of just go back and say what could we have done different. How can we educate better, how can we make the public better understand. Some of the questions at the end make us feel that maybe we didn’t educate enough,” said Mahoney.

Fargodome Authority said the conference center and upgrades would have kept them on par with other regional cities like Grand Forks and the Alerus Center.

Mayor Mahoney explains why officials want a conference center in Fargo.

“For a convention center, oftentimes people need breakout rooms and meeting rooms so you can go to multiple sessions. To compete in the market today with other cities you have to have an area where you can do that. The convention center would have added that ability.”

Now the city goes back to the drawing board.

The special election results will be certified on December 18 by the canvassing board.