Council votes to put $41.6 million coliseum renovation before San Angelo voters

The San Angelo City Council voted 7-0 to place a $41,600,000 bond measure on the May ballot to fund a renovation of the city Coliseum after a presentation from representatives of the Stock Show and Rodeo association.

The measure would fund major upgrades intended to increase seating capacity, improve restrooms and accessibility, and add club-level and skybox seating. City finance staff and the association said the project aims to raise the Coliseum’s seated capacity to roughly 8,000 and provide new amenities while preserving the venue’s character.

The proposal was presented to the council by Justin Jonas of the Stock Show and Rodeo association, who described a plan to rehabilitate the 66‑year‑old facility, add grandstand seating and a club level, expand restrooms and ADA access, and convert under‑bleacher spaces to showers if needed. Jonas said the association paid architects and engineers about $1.4 million to produce plans and that construction could be staged so much of the exterior work would occur between rodeos, with interior work following to limit disruption.

Tina Dierski, the city’s director of finance, said the bond referendum would be sized at $41.6 million and estimated a projected tax‑rate impact of about 4.2 to 4.7 cents (per $100 of assessed value), depending on amortization. Dierski said the city’s financial advisers project an interest range of roughly 5.87%–5.98% and noted the bonds would be sold on a taxable basis because the Coliseum would not be operated by the city if the proposed operating agreement is in place.

Bond counsel Rudy Segudong (McCall Parkhurst & Horton) advised the council about legal constraints on campaigning and the statutory moratorium that can follow a failed measure. He described a 2013 statute that can bar cities from issuing certificates of obligation for projects similar to a failed bond for three years, and noted pending legislation could extend some moratoriums to five years. Segudong also reviewed restrictions on use of public funds and city property for advocacy, warning that city resources, city pages and pictures taken from privileged access can trigger ethics complaints if used to promote the measure.

Council members discussed timing given a likely San Angelo ISD bond on the same May ballot and asked about projected household costs. Jonas and Dierski repeatedly characterized the household effect as modest; council comments linked the 4.2–4.7¢ tax‑rate estimate to roughly $4 per month for a $150,000 home, a figure cited during discussion. The council also discussed a possible Chapter 380 (economic development) agreement under which the association would operate and maintain the Coliseum and include performance measures such as a $2 facility fee on tickets, operations and maintenance transfer, attendance targets and clawbacks or incentives tied to performance.

Following the presentations and legal briefing, Councilmember Tommy moved to approve calling the election; the motion passed 7-0. The council also approved a separate motion authorizing the city manager to negotiate and execute an agreement for election services to be administered by Tom Green County Election Administration (item B1), also by a 7-0 vote.

Council and counsel emphasized compliance steps: the association must avoid using city property or staff to promote the bond, coordinate communications carefully with the city attorney’s office, and draft any marketing materials with legal review so as not to trigger public‑funds or ethics violations. Segudong urged the association and the city to treat customary informational materials narrowly so they remain “informational” and not “advocacy” under state ethics rules.

The council record indicates the association said it would market the project independently to the public and sign a Chapter 380 agreement that would transfer operations and include measurable economic development commitments. If voters approve the measure, presenters said construction sequencing could permit two years of work beginning after final contract awards and approvals so as to not entirely displace the rodeo during construction.