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If a group of Windsor residents get their way, the term “play ball” could take on a whole new meaning by spring of 2011.
With Colorado Rockies owner Charlie Monfort on hand, Water Valley developer Martin Lind made a presentation to the Windsor Town Board on Monday night that could potentially bring a Pioneer League minor league baseball team to Windsor by the 2011 season.
The presentation was part of an agenda item that included a possible vehicle tax on all new vehicles purchased by Windsor residents, and was supported by Monfort.
In a press release issued by Water Valley on Tuesday afternoon, Monfort said he has been impressed with the enthusiasm of sports fans in northern Colorado.
“The area and its fans have proven their love and loyalty to sports. If all the pieces in this puzzle come together, we will be saying ‘Play Ball’ in northern Colorado,” Monfort said.
Currently, when a Windsor resident buys any licensed vehicle from an automobile dealer outside of Windsor, there is no sales tax assessed on the vehicle. That includes trailers, tractors or anything that requires a license.
However, if the vehicle is purchased through a Windsor dealer, such as the Iron Mountain dealers on Weld County Road 17 and U.S. 34, there is a 3.2 percent tax added.
The new tax would impact all dealers, not just Iron Mountain, Windsor Mayor John Vázquez said.
“What people need to know is the Town is not pursuing this in this economic climate,” Vázquez said. “A citizen’s group came to us and said, ‘If we wanted to put a question on the ballot in November, would the Town help us with the language?’ I am neither for or against it. But we as a board are not going to take it to the people. It’s up to that citizen group.
“But we told them that if there is enough support to put it on the ballot, then we as a Town will assist you in framing the question so it’s constitutional, and so it doesn't get appealed or undone later.”
At-large representative Nancy Weber agreed.
“Charlie Monfort was there and committed,” Weber said. “To me that showed a lot of value. This is being initiated by the citizens, and at the end of the day, if the citizens were to say ‘yes’ to a tax and the stadium, I can’t say no.”
Windsor has tried twice and failed at a vehicle use tax, but in both cases, Vázquez believed, the residents weren’t convinced where the money was going. In the first attempt in the 1990s, the money had no destination, and the Town would have used the money for what it saw fit. In the second election, the money was to be redirected to the Windsor Community Recreation Center. At the time, those opposed said there was too much already being spent on the recreation center.
Lind, who presented the proposal, said this is something he has always wanted to do. Lind donated the land at Diamond Valley nearly 10 years ago in hopes of bringing a minor league team to Windsor.
“Since the Eagles, it’s never been high on my list to do anything,” Lind said. “But, now there is a slight potential and an introduction of a concept.”
Lind said the Colorado Eagles minor league hockey team injects $40 to $50 million annually into the northern Colorado economy, and this would do the same. But he doesn’t think the current state of the economy would be a problem.
“I don’t know the current projections,” he said. “But I do know that when the economy is struggling, is when good governments make good decisions.”
Monfort, who along with his brother, Dick Monfort, hold the majority share in the Colorado Rockies, was at the meeting to assure Town Board members the Rockies’ commitment to bring a team that would be a Rockies’ affiliate to Windsor if Windsor residents would support building the stadium, which would be on the Windsor side of Larimer County Road 5 by the Budweiser Events Center.
The Rockies’ organization has the rights to a certain “region” around Coors Field to affiliate teams with the Rockies. They don’t currently own any of the teams, but are looking at two teams to purchase that could be moved to Colorado, including the Casper (Wyo.) Ghosts of the Pioneer League, formally the Casper Rockies. The Ghosts are considered an “advanced rookie” league or “B” team. It is the first level of minor league play for Major League Baseball affiliates.
Vázquez wanted everyone to be clear that this idea is only an idea at this point, and it is in the beginning stages of development.
“There are still a whole lot of what ifs,” Vázquez said. “The county in my mind, is a key component to this. The county owns the land. The county owns the stadium. They would need to expand it into Windsor, if that can be done. Then what portion of the tax can be used for the stadium? That conversation needs to happen.”
Vázquez did say the idea of a vehicle tax would even the playing field for automobile dealers inside Windsor that are at a disadvantage to dealers outside of Windsor.
“There is $600,000 to $1 million in potential sales tax going outside the area,” Vázquez said. “We are more or less encouraging people to shop outside our community. But this tax expands far beyond baseball.”
Vázquez explained that if everything fell into place, the development that would occur around the stadium would bring large revenues into Windsor that could help with other major capital expenditures, such as the Interstate 25/Colo. 392 project, downtown revitalization or the new police facility.
“It’s a way to find a way to finance these without going to the public for a general bond issue,” Vázquez said. “I'm not big on carrying a lot of debt. It would be my desire as we see growth in property tax and sales tax that we pay down the police station a lot sooner.
“And creative financing allows us to pay the debt without encumbering the taxpayers for 30 years. If you have that kind of an anchor out there, an endless number of opportunities would present themselves, especially if you get an anchor like the (Colorado) Eagles have down with the Budweiser Events Center.
“We've been on the front porch looking as Loveland and Larimer County has benefited from that. It’s important for us to tie into that.”
The group has until August to get the paperwork done to be included on the November ballot, which includes gathering around 600 signatures in support.
Lind said what is different this time from the last time he started this process is Windsor has Major League Baseball owners interested in getting the ball rolling.
“It’s all in the cue,” Lind said. “We’ll probably get together in another couple of weeks and figure out where to go. The thought process starts now.”
With Colorado Rockies owner Charlie Monfort on hand, Water Valley developer Martin Lind made a presentation to the Windsor Town Board on Monday night that could potentially bring a Pioneer League minor league baseball team to Windsor by the 2011 season.
The presentation was part of an agenda item that included a possible vehicle tax on all new vehicles purchased by Windsor residents, and was supported by Monfort.
In a press release issued by Water Valley on Tuesday afternoon, Monfort said he has been impressed with the enthusiasm of sports fans in northern Colorado.
“The area and its fans have proven their love and loyalty to sports. If all the pieces in this puzzle come together, we will be saying ‘Play Ball’ in northern Colorado,” Monfort said.
Currently, when a Windsor resident buys any licensed vehicle from an automobile dealer outside of Windsor, there is no sales tax assessed on the vehicle. That includes trailers, tractors or anything that requires a license.
However, if the vehicle is purchased through a Windsor dealer, such as the Iron Mountain dealers on Weld County Road 17 and U.S. 34, there is a 3.2 percent tax added.
The new tax would impact all dealers, not just Iron Mountain, Windsor Mayor John Vázquez said.
“What people need to know is the Town is not pursuing this in this economic climate,” Vázquez said. “A citizen’s group came to us and said, ‘If we wanted to put a question on the ballot in November, would the Town help us with the language?’ I am neither for or against it. But we as a board are not going to take it to the people. It’s up to that citizen group.
“But we told them that if there is enough support to put it on the ballot, then we as a Town will assist you in framing the question so it’s constitutional, and so it doesn't get appealed or undone later.”
At-large representative Nancy Weber agreed.
“Charlie Monfort was there and committed,” Weber said. “To me that showed a lot of value. This is being initiated by the citizens, and at the end of the day, if the citizens were to say ‘yes’ to a tax and the stadium, I can’t say no.”
Windsor has tried twice and failed at a vehicle use tax, but in both cases, Vázquez believed, the residents weren’t convinced where the money was going. In the first attempt in the 1990s, the money had no destination, and the Town would have used the money for what it saw fit. In the second election, the money was to be redirected to the Windsor Community Recreation Center. At the time, those opposed said there was too much already being spent on the recreation center.
Lind, who presented the proposal, said this is something he has always wanted to do. Lind donated the land at Diamond Valley nearly 10 years ago in hopes of bringing a minor league team to Windsor.
“Since the Eagles, it’s never been high on my list to do anything,” Lind said. “But, now there is a slight potential and an introduction of a concept.”
Lind said the Colorado Eagles minor league hockey team injects $40 to $50 million annually into the northern Colorado economy, and this would do the same. But he doesn’t think the current state of the economy would be a problem.
“I don’t know the current projections,” he said. “But I do know that when the economy is struggling, is when good governments make good decisions.”
Monfort, who along with his brother, Dick Monfort, hold the majority share in the Colorado Rockies, was at the meeting to assure Town Board members the Rockies’ commitment to bring a team that would be a Rockies’ affiliate to Windsor if Windsor residents would support building the stadium, which would be on the Windsor side of Larimer County Road 5 by the Budweiser Events Center.
The Rockies’ organization has the rights to a certain “region” around Coors Field to affiliate teams with the Rockies. They don’t currently own any of the teams, but are looking at two teams to purchase that could be moved to Colorado, including the Casper (Wyo.) Ghosts of the Pioneer League, formally the Casper Rockies. The Ghosts are considered an “advanced rookie” league or “B” team. It is the first level of minor league play for Major League Baseball affiliates.
Vázquez wanted everyone to be clear that this idea is only an idea at this point, and it is in the beginning stages of development.
“There are still a whole lot of what ifs,” Vázquez said. “The county in my mind, is a key component to this. The county owns the land. The county owns the stadium. They would need to expand it into Windsor, if that can be done. Then what portion of the tax can be used for the stadium? That conversation needs to happen.”
Vázquez did say the idea of a vehicle tax would even the playing field for automobile dealers inside Windsor that are at a disadvantage to dealers outside of Windsor.
“There is $600,000 to $1 million in potential sales tax going outside the area,” Vázquez said. “We are more or less encouraging people to shop outside our community. But this tax expands far beyond baseball.”
Vázquez explained that if everything fell into place, the development that would occur around the stadium would bring large revenues into Windsor that could help with other major capital expenditures, such as the Interstate 25/Colo. 392 project, downtown revitalization or the new police facility.
“It’s a way to find a way to finance these without going to the public for a general bond issue,” Vázquez said. “I'm not big on carrying a lot of debt. It would be my desire as we see growth in property tax and sales tax that we pay down the police station a lot sooner.
“And creative financing allows us to pay the debt without encumbering the taxpayers for 30 years. If you have that kind of an anchor out there, an endless number of opportunities would present themselves, especially if you get an anchor like the (Colorado) Eagles have down with the Budweiser Events Center.
“We've been on the front porch looking as Loveland and Larimer County has benefited from that. It’s important for us to tie into that.”
The group has until August to get the paperwork done to be included on the November ballot, which includes gathering around 600 signatures in support.
Lind said what is different this time from the last time he started this process is Windsor has Major League Baseball owners interested in getting the ball rolling.
“It’s all in the cue,” Lind said. “We’ll probably get together in another couple of weeks and figure out where to go. The thought process starts now.”
