Author's Note: The views expressed in this column are those of the author's alone and do not represent the views of the City of Elizabethton administration or City Council.
As many of you know, the City of Elizabethton is faced with a dilemma. The Minnesota Twins are requesting a large amount of money be spent to improve the facilities where the Elizabethton Twins play – Joe O'Brien Field. Because of the amount of money that would have to be spent, this puts our elected and appointed officials in a difficult position. Do we spend the money on the Twins facilities and forgo some other improvements for yet another year or spend the money on other community facilities and projects that desperately need to be completed and risk losing the Twins to another community? I vote for the former.
Many times we hear government must be run like a business, yet here is a prime example of why a local government cannot be run like a business. The Elizabethton Twins provide more to this community than monetary or economic return alone. The Twins only return about $10,000 per year to the City's General Fund coffers and provide minimal amounts in the form of economic impact, yet the Elizabethton Twins provide something for the entire community to rally around. When we see the Elizabethton Twins featured on the news we are proud to be from Elizabethton. When the Twins yet again win the Appalachian League Championship we are sure to tell others that our hometown team is the most winniest team in the nation. This team fosters much community pride so that we can say we're proud to be from Elizabethton.
The Twins also serve as a destination for our community. You wouldn't believe the number of people who travel from Minnesota or other parts of the county just to sit in a small stadium and watch a good game of baseball. Dedicated baseball fans will travel to watch a game. Using a standard tourism model, we likely attract people from 45 minutes to an hour away from Elizabethton per game to come and watch a game. These are people who may not of otherwise drove to Elizabethton. And, it's likely, they will get gas, eat at one of our restaurants, or just grab a bottle of water from a convenience store while they're here (this is where the small economic impact comes in).
While the Twins alone may not drive tourism in Elizabethton, they do serve as just one more thing to do while you’re visiting, just like the golf course does. Standing alone neither entity may lure people to our community, but when paired with other activities it become a reason to visit. Having these multiple different tourism assets serves as the foundation to a tourism driven economy.
These are many different perspectives both for and against investing in the Twins stadium. But no matter how you feel, be sure to let your elected representatives know! This is a difficult decision for them to make and the more input they have, the easier it will be for them to make the decision that the community supports. Let's talk about it!
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