Voters registered in Ames can go to the polling booths today to decide whether to approve a 2 percent increase in the city’s hotel/motel tax, which would aid in the proposed $5.9 million expansion and renovation of Hilton Coliseum.

Public opinion on the expansion vote has been varied, with several groups speaking out for both sides of the issue.

Murray Blackwelder, vice president for External Affairs, said he saw the expansion as something that would benefit Iowa State students and the Ames community.

“This will keep the rates down at Scheman [Building] and will bring operas and other cultural events into the city,” he said. “If this doesn’t pass, we will have to resort to user fees at all the buildings or something like that. I don’t think anyone wants that.”

Blackwelder predicted close results in today’s election, which will run from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

“I’ve said from day one that I think this is going to be a close vote,” he said.

“Anytime you try to put through something that has the word ‘tax’ in front of it, you’re going to be fighting an uphill battle,” Blackwelder said.

Even though Ames residents wouldn’t pay the tax, Blackwelder said there has been a lot of opposition to it.

“We’d just be very fortunate if we win it,” he said.

Having the vote scheduled during ISU’s dead week was not planned in order to decrease the number of student voters, Blackwelder said.

“The city council suggested that we do this in June or July and I said no way,” he said. “This affects the students, so you’ve got to have it when they’re still here. Because of that, we put this vote on the fast track.”

Blackwelder said he expects a student turnout of about 1,000.

Ames City Councilman Herman Quirmbach said although he has publicly opposed the Hilton expansion, he wants all voters to get out and exercise their civic duties.

“I just want a big enough turnout that we get a representative sample of the community,” he said. “If we get that, I can live with the results whichever way it goes.”

Although he urges residents and students alike to get to the polls, Quirmbach said voters should learn all the facts surrounding the expansion beforehand.

“I think that students and anyone else who goes to the polls has an obligation to inform themselves first,” he said.

Quirmbach agreed that the university wanted to have the election while school was still in session.

However, he said pushing for the timely election might have been a mistake for the university.

“A lot of the students are opposed to this,” he said. “The head of the ISU Democrats [Stacy Walshire] and the chair of the [Campus] Republicans [Steve Erickson] have issued a joint press release against this. How often do both parties get along like that?”

Quirmbach said the ISU political organizations made several phone calls this weekend urging students to vote “no” on the expansion.

But GSB President Matt Craft urges students to vote “yes,” or at least get to the polls.

“If students want to maintain the level of entertainment in the city and get better seats for athletic events, you’ve got no excuse to not vote ‘yes,'” he said. “A ‘no’ vote will do nothing for the students.”

Craft said an election in a city as small as Ames makes each person’s vote count.

“I think it will be close,” he said, “and in a local election, a few votes here and there can swing the decision.”