Gastonia Officials Deliberating How to Waste $700,000 of Taxpayer Money

Gastonia city officials have decided against building a new civic center, so the $700,000 raised from a 3% hotel/motel tax will have to be spent on something else. Local officials insist the money has to be spent on a tourism-related project that would put "heads in beds" in local hotels. Some hotel proprietors—who feel the 3% tax actually discouraged potential patrons—are not holding their breath that the city will just give them the money. Other taxpayers have no such similar hopes.