MASON CITY – Citizens troubled by the actions out of city hall connected to an arena deal have produced a legal petition that is now ready to be signed.
Max Weaver tells NIT that the petition is “good to go. It is official. I had Brent Trout call the Ahlers law firm in Des Moines to make it completely by the books and official.”
Once the petition is turned in, city hall may choose to go forward with a referendum on the arena or drop the deal altogether. Weaver says that if they call for an election, it wold probably be in middle to late February.
The following individuals are spearheading the petition drive. You may call any of them in order to add your name to the petition.
You must be 18 years of age or older and a resident of Mason City to add a valid signature to the petition.
Max Weaver 641-420-0832
Phil Sanchez 641-425-3335
Troy Levenhagen 641-423-5021 or call the Suzie Q restaurant
Larrey Loeckle 641-430-4752
This 18 million dollar arena project is yet another stupid ass idea from politicians that don’t have a clue. This too will go bankrupt just like the mall did. Here we have yet another, “tunnel to nowhere” that will end up in bankruptcy court too costing the taxpayers more bonds to pay off just like the mall did.
Mason City needs to do something to reverse decades of declining population and address the severe poverty issues that exist in this town. Investing in projects that enhance quality of life is one way to do just that. The many, many curmudgeons in Mason City have made it clear that they will not support any city investment that increases their property tax bill, and the proposed funding mechanisms for this multi purpose arena appear to respect their wishes by utilizing state grant money, private investment, and tif funds rather than General Obligation Bonds .
Interestingly, the long term effects of declining population and a increasingly less affluent demographic profile will have severe ramifications on everyone’s property tax bill as the city’s revenue stream becomes inadequate to pay for existing municipal infrastructure (think Detroit, on a smaller scale). It’s a great thing your current city council has been bringing things to the table that encourage the community to grow and bring employment opportunities rather the simply be complacent and accept a fate similar to Detroit.
I get the sense that many who post here erroneously feel that the city can somehow ‘shrink’ itself back to prosperity (that is to say, cut costs to create a low cost environment that would attract private investment). At face value, it does seem like this low cost strategy would work, but any economist or accounting professional can tell you it’s not reality…City’s which invest in meaningful infrastructure are the ones that grow and are compelling places for private investment.
Kenny – turn up your hearing aid – listen to the part about the bonds – liberals don’t want to hear the true facts.
General Obligation Bonds are not listed as a funding source for the arena. The only reference to GO Bonds I could find are related to the parking structure and that action was approved months ago. Where specifically do you see GO Bonds utilized for this multi purpose arena? Enlighten me, please.
Thanks Max. – Worth county oath keepers are going to order these forms to stop the corporate owned supervisors up here from building a couple of pipe lines (funded by worth county taxpayers for corporate benefits) also for some transparency in their (dealings) !
turn the mall into a big strip joint, that will get people of all ages and both sexes downtown.
This petition references Iowa Code 384.26 which is addresses a special election for issuance of General Obligation bonds. It is my understanding that this project will not utilize General Obligation Bonds as a funding source.
Here’s what Bookmeyer told the Iowa Economic Development Authority on May 21, 2015, about his River City Renaissance project: “This project has earned as broad a base of community support as any that we have worked on. There is no end to the line of citizens calling us, emailing us, stopping us in the stores and on the practice fields to express their support for Our River City Renaissance.” So if he’s telling the truth, those “lines of citizens” should flock to the polls to vote to support his project, don’t you think? GO MAX!!!
Doc ! It means your not the only county to have corporate owned pubic servants. That includes manly’s group of takers.
You know if you sign this petition it does not necessarily mean you are against the arena it just mean you think the citizens should have a voice and a vote on it. Whether you are for or against the arena you should want what is right and that is to put it on the ballot for a vote and let the majority win.
Good idea, except the majority doesn’t vote around here. More like 12%.
I was going to say the same thing. This is definitely more public input and I agree that a vote should happen, but to sell the vote to the public as casting a wide net and say “let the people” decide is a rash generalization with only a small handful actually going out to vote.
Free money? If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is. Still need the hotel to get the money, who is gonna jump at that?
You do know the the residents of cerro gordo county will each pay a portion of the 18 MILLION dollar assessed property value on this rink being it is leased by the city – you also I hope know that you peons pay the taxes on ALL public property -yes schools inc. Why is public property taxed? City employees need money honey.
The property owner, the owner of Southbridge in this case, pays the property tax in this type of lease arrangement. Government properties (schools, municipal and county buildings, etc.) are indeed exempt from property tax.
Heck this in nothing – (Corporate owned supervisors in Worth county want the peons here to pay for a 36 MILLION dollar natural gas pipeline to Stan Walks Mitchell county -now they want to ALSO build a water pipeline to Mitchell county -Water to come from Falks Quarry – WE the people know the water will actually come from our recreation area know as Kennons Quarry which Falk almost drained a couple of years ago for their water usage. The water table at Falk is lower than the 2 ponds at the quarry so the supervisor are lying when they say the water is from Falks Quarry – Must be some big corporate ethanol plant going up in Mitchell county and they need what? Natural gas and our worth county water and want Worth county taxpayers to pay for it. Old Bartz’s name appears again – 2 lawsuits – 75k gift from the casino to remodel a run down chinese restaurant – Does’nt get any better if your connected to the demorats in charge. PS – we have some rural worth county residents whose wells are drying up — Poet ethanol plant is nearby – takes 30 gallons of precious water to make 1 gallon of that crap gas.
What does the Falks Quarry have to do with the Mason City petition???
said it before, trout says no tax money used, may not be but the money he is going to use could be used for other projects, now when those projects are done it will be tax money so in other words it will be tax money just hidden the way its used
This argument is akin to not handing out condoms to the kids and instead relying upon teaching abstinence…it sounds nice in theory, but it’s not reality. Kids are still going to bone the ba-geezus out of each other either way and the folks that are handing out the condoms are going to like the results a whole lot better. The reality is that a lot of the money used to finance the arena simply will not exist if the arena isn’t built (tif funds and local sales option tax, for example) and a significant portion of the financing comes from a state fund designated for quality of life enhancing projects that will simply go to another city if it isn’t utilized here.
Makes sense to me. Lets stop anything that may cause growth and add to the quality of life in town.
the potential for newer, more expensive empty buildings. The potential for higher taxes. Awesome!
This city council has always been on thin ice. Some of them want a chri$tmas present – will Sanra bookie get his? He has been a goood lardo.
1 ST choice was Syrian refugee camp.
Let’s convert the mall into a Toyota factory Max. Seems like if the people wanted your leadership you would have been elected to the council.
Word got out that being on that council is both a crock of BS and maybe even hazardous to your health so ya dummy some of us are smarter than that
Just to be clear, what are the requirements to be eligible to collect signatures, and to sign the petition, seems like there is a question.
Levey the Great is collecting signatures for the petition, but didn’t he get a whole lot of grant money to redo his greasy spoon? Same time he re-sided his house and built a new deck on it? Hmmmm.
Levey has other sources of income.
Ha Ha, he can pull money out of his azz, and then turn it into a rabbit.
Smoke and mirrors…… mostly smoke.
Way to go Max!!!
I will be in touch Max.