KALAMAZOO -- Republicans aren’t fans of tax hikes but it’s the kind of crowd that backers of an Event Center in Downtown Kalamazoo need to win over. Ken Miller and KVCC President Marilyn Schlack took their power point presentation to a noontime gathering of Kalamazoo County Republicans to make their case. He says it appears everything is coming together to present to the Kalamazoo County Board later this month.

It will take a 1% tax on restaurant meals and hotel rooms to partially fund the construction which will have to be approved by voters county wide. Miller acknowledges that is their biggest challenge. There is a chance that County Commissioners will decide it’s too big a challenge and kill it now, but they are more than likely going to leave it to voters to decide in August.