Jefferson City officials wisely appear to be backing away from committing lodging tax funds for a multipurpose facility.
The headline on a Sunday news story about the multipurpose building asked: "Serving two masters?"
Although two may be company, three risks a crowd.
The city's Parks Commission and Lincoln University are considering a collaboration to build an indoor recreation venue that would serve city taxpayers and LU students.
Properly executed and managed, such a collaboration could serve both constituencies to the benefit of both the city agency and university.
The partnership has about $10.1 million available to build a three-court facility.
A four-court facility has been deemed more desirable, but would require additional funding in the range of $1.6 million.
Enter Jefferson City's mayor and council, which will convene today to hear presentations from parks and LU officials before deciding whether to authorize the additional funds.
Two potential sources are a loan from the city or funding from the lodging tax collected by the city's Convention and Visitors Bureau.
In Sunday's story, some city officials indicated reluctance to tap the lodging tax for the multipurpose building.
"I don't think using the lodging tax toward this project is something we, as a city, want to do," said Mayor Eric Struemph.
We agree, for two reasons.
First, use of lodging tax revenues could be justified only if the multipurpose venue also attracts tourism. Although this may become a secondary purpose, it is not a primary one.
Money for the multipurpose building is coming from city taxpayers and LU students. They must be its primary beneficiaries.
Second, although the letter of lodging tax increase approved by voters was to attract tourism, the spirit of the proposal was to build a convention center.
Despite previous failure to advance that plan, convention center supporters likely would oppose what might be characterized as a diversion of lodging tax funds.
The multipurpose building equation contains many variables - including the deadline, the partnership, the size and the possibility of a loan from the city.
Complicating that equation with lodging tax funds would only add opposition.