GILLETTE - Campbell County voters will decide Tuesday whether to approve a quarter-cent sales tax to build what would be the largest floor-space events center in Wyoming.

Cam-plex wants to build a new $22 million, 135,000-square-foot "multi-events" center consisting of three main arenas on one level and surround seating on a second, open level.

If it's approved, the sales tax in Campbell County would jump from 5 percent to 5.25 percent. That means sales tax on a $100 purchase would rise from $5 to $5.25.

Cam-plex officials estimate it would take four to five years for the tax to generate $22 million. Then the tax would go away.

Cam-plex general manager Dan Barks said many events have been turned away in recent years because the demand to use the existing facilities has grown beyond capacity. He said the center would help Gillette retain the Great North American RV Rally and the World Horseshoe Pitching Championship, among other events.

It could also bring in larger events that have never been hosted here, such as the state high school basketball tournament.

"It could bring in ice hockey, which is one of those wintertime events when our businesses could use that extra shot in the arm," Barks said.

Opponents of the tax say Campbell County and the city of Gillette already have plenty of reserve money to pay for the new building. City and county officials have said if the community wants the new multi-events center, voters must approve of a capital facilities tax to help pay for it.

However, if the proposal fails Tuesday, it won't necessarily mean the project can't come back in some form.

"It does not close the door to bringing it back to the community if we decided there was some other funding out there - grant money or something that we could find and reduce the cost of it from $22 million to $15 million or $14 million," Gillette Mayor Duane Evenson said.

For example, Campbell County voters struck down a similar tax for a second high school campus in the 1990s. But residents were later asked to vote for a smaller capital facilities tax amount after city and county officials found additional money from the Abandoned Mine Lands fund.

Evenson said ultimately, city officials want to see that voters are willing to pay some additional tax for the building - be it $22 million, $15 million or less.

"But I don't believe it will ever get built without the approval of the voters," Evenson said.

Others worry about the additional maintenance costs that come with a new 135,000-square-foot facility. Barks said those additional costs would range from $400,000 to $450,000 per year. However, that cost would be offset by at least $200,000 in rental fees annually, he said.

Barks estimates the facility would attract events that would bring in about $7 million to Gillette businesses every year, which would generate an additional $350,000 in tax revenue to further help offset operational costs.

"If that's a wash, I guess you have to leave that up to the reader," Barks said.

Cam-plex currently consists of several multi-use pavilions, an outdoor grandstand and arena, a performing arts center, convention center and several RV campgrounds. Cam-plex is again scheduled to host the National High School Finals Rodeo this summer, as well as the "RVing Women" RV rally.

Want to learn more?

To see diagrams of the proposed new multi-events center and get further information, go to www.friendsofcamplex.com.

Reporter Dustin Bleizeffer can be reached at (307) 682-3388 or dzeffer@trib.com.