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The McPherson Opera House Company Board of Directors voted unanimously to take the steps necessary to place the completion of the Opera House on the ballot of the upcoming 7 April election. To accomplish this, the Opera House must gather the signatures of 802 validly registered voters living in the City of McPherson on a petition worded exactly as the question will appear on the ballot. The petition, whose technical wording was provided by Attorney Ty Kaufman and which was approved by County Counsel John Klenda, is currently circulating. The text of the question reads: Shall the City of McPherson, Kansas, be authorized to impose a one-half percent (1/2 %) city retailer’s special purpose sales tax, the proceeds of which shall be used to finance the cost of making alterations, modifications and improvements to complete the renovation of the McPherson Opera House at its existing location, 221 South Main St., McPherson, Kansas, the collection of such sales tax to commence upon termination of the city retailer’s sales tax imposed by McPherson City Ordinance No. 2890 for the City Library improvement project and shall terminate upon the earlier of (1) accumulation of sufficient revenues to complete the renovation project for the McPherson Opera House in an amount not to exceed $2,700,000, or; (2) ten years after its commencement, all pursuant to the provisions of K.S.A. 12-187 et seq. as amended? The Opera House Board has set 20 February as the cut-off date for the collection of signatures, and the City Commissioners voted unanimously to withdraw the question of the rehabilitation of the Community Building from the ballot if the necessary signatures are gathered. “We are 23 years and $5,000,000 into this project, and it is time to finish it,” Troy Wiens, Opera House Board President said. “Dozens and dozens of volunteers have donated tens of thousands of hours of their time and effort to bring us this far, and now we’re asking the rest of the city to join us in bringing this incredible community asset fully to life as a one-stop location for entertainment, arts, and culture.”
If the ballot question passes, the Opera House Board will arrange for a construction loan to bridge the gap between passage of the question and the time the sales tax revenue becomes available to the Opera House, projected to be the end of 2010. “Eby Construction Company has a large crew hard at work in the auditorium,” Opera House architect Andy Steffes said. “All the plans and costs associated with completion are in place, and once the current construction phase is over, Eby will roll over into the final phase. The last things to be done are the restoration of the G. N. Malm mural over the proscenium arch, the decorative stenciling, and the installation of the seats. All of this can be completed in around 12 months.” Opera House Board members are out in the community actively soliciting signatures. The petition can also be signed at the Opera House Annex, 219 South Main Street. A table for signing has been set up in the Annex hallway across from the office of Administrative Assistant Ann Haritatos. Opera House Annex hours of operation are: 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.–5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. “Any questions concerning any of this can be directed to me,” said John Holecek, Opera House Director of Development. “My home phone is 241-6139; my mobile number is 316-648-5010, and my email address is john.holecek@allgoodworks.com.”
The McPherson Opera House Company Board of Directors voted unanimously to take the steps necessary to place the completion of the Opera House on the ballot of the upcoming 7 April election. To accomplish this, the Opera House must gather the signatures of 802 validly registered voters living in the City of McPherson on a petition worded exactly as the question will appear on the ballot. The petition, whose technical wording was provided by Attorney Ty Kaufman and which was approved by County Counsel John Klenda, is currently circulating. The text of the question reads: Shall the City of McPherson, Kansas, be authorized to impose a one-half percent (1/2 %) city retailer’s special purpose sales tax, the proceeds of which shall be used to finance the cost of making alterations, modifications and improvements to complete the renovation of the McPherson Opera House at its existing location, 221 South Main St., McPherson, Kansas, the collection of such sales tax to commence upon termination of the city retailer’s sales tax imposed by McPherson City Ordinance No. 2890 for the City Library improvement project and shall terminate upon the earlier of (1) accumulation of sufficient revenues to complete the renovation project for the McPherson Opera House in an amount not to exceed $2,700,000, or; (2) ten years after its commencement, all pursuant to the provisions of K.S.A. 12-187 et seq. as amended? The Opera House Board has set 20 February as the cut-off date for the collection of signatures, and the City Commissioners voted unanimously to withdraw the question of the rehabilitation of the Community Building from the ballot if the necessary signatures are gathered. “We are 23 years and $5,000,000 into this project, and it is time to finish it,” Troy Wiens, Opera House Board President said. “Dozens and dozens of volunteers have donated tens of thousands of hours of their time and effort to bring us this far, and now we’re asking the rest of the city to join us in bringing this incredible community asset fully to life as a one-stop location for entertainment, arts, and culture.”
If the ballot question passes, the Opera House Board will arrange for a construction loan to bridge the gap between passage of the question and the time the sales tax revenue becomes available to the Opera House, projected to be the end of 2010. “Eby Construction Company has a large crew hard at work in the auditorium,” Opera House architect Andy Steffes said. “All the plans and costs associated with completion are in place, and once the current construction phase is over, Eby will roll over into the final phase. The last things to be done are the restoration of the G. N. Malm mural over the proscenium arch, the decorative stenciling, and the installation of the seats. All of this can be completed in around 12 months.” Opera House Board members are out in the community actively soliciting signatures. The petition can also be signed at the Opera House Annex, 219 South Main Street. A table for signing has been set up in the Annex hallway across from the office of Administrative Assistant Ann Haritatos. Opera House Annex hours of operation are: 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.–5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. “Any questions concerning any of this can be directed to me,” said John Holecek, Opera House Director of Development. “My home phone is 241-6139; my mobile number is 316-648-5010, and my email address is john.holecek@allgoodworks.com.”
