An Austin woman killed in a helicopter crash near the Arkansas Music Festival

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Just two weeks after the unanimous vote of Austin City Council to begin the process of extending the Austin Convention Center, a new petition has seen the day, seeking to extend this possibility to a public vote.

If the petitioners had the required 20,000 signatures, they would tell voters in the city of Austin whether voters in the city should seek approval for any expansion or redevelopment of the Austin Convention Center costing more than $ 20 million. . The petition would also establish other requirements for Austin's use of hotel occupancy tax revenues, requiring that a larger portion of this money be used for things other than the convention center. (The hotel occupancy tax in Austin is 15%, of which 9% is paid to the city of Austin and 6% to the State of Texas, and the proceeds are used to promote Austin's tourism and hospitality.)

The petition would limit the Convention Center to receive 34% of the total annual revenue from the hotel occupancy tax. 15% of this HOT revenue should also go to a historic preservation fund and 15% to the Cultural Arts Fund, with the remaining funds going to strengthen Austin's "cultural tourism industry". .