The City of Fargo will hold a special municipal election on Tuesday, Dec. 5, with voters deciding whether or not to increase sales and lodging taxes to fund a FARGODOME remodel and the addition of a 90,000-square-foot conference center.
At least 60% of voters must approve of the ballot measure. Passage of the measure will mean:
• An additional 0.25% sales tax (e.g., 25 cent sales tax on a $100 purchase). This would raise Fargo sales tax to 7.75%.
• An additional 3% lodging tax on hotel and motel rooms. Taxes on lodging expenses in Fargo would increase to 13.75%.
• Both taxes would have 20-year terms for collection, starting April 1, 2024, and ending March 31, 2044.
In September 2023, City Commissioners unanimously voted to hold the Dec. 5 special election to give Fargo voters the opportunity to decide on the FARGODOME Reimagined proposal. Along with the addition of a conference center, the project would improve and expand accessibility for patrons with disabilities, add restrooms, enhance crowd circulation and create more concessions and seating options at the City-owned venue.
Special election voting will take place Tuesday, Dec. 5, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Residents can vote at any of three polling locations: the FARGODOME (1800 N. University Drive), the Fargo Civic Center (207 4th St. N.) or the Ramada Inn (3333 13th Ave. S.).
If the ballot measure passes, construction of the project would start in the winter of 2024. The project is estimated to cost $140 million, with $30 million coming from the FARGODOME’s Permanent Fund and the rest funded by the proposed tax increases.