SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - Springfield voters rejected a 3% increase in the hotel-motel tax that would have helped fund a new convention center.

Ballot Question One failed by nearly 400 votes, with 3,545 voting yes and 3,927 voting no. Springfield’s current lodging tax rate is 13.1%, which the city said is the second-lowest rate among surrounding cities.

The city planned to use the $30 million the tax could have generated to help fund the new convention center.

“The voters spoke last night, and we have to respect that,” said David Cameron, Springfield’s city manager.

Cameron said the city did not have an alternative funding plan for the project.

“I think it would be very disingenuous to say we had a plan B, that we had another plan because we would have presented that to the voters for

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