SELL THE BARN.
SELL THE BARN.
Stop Subsidizing Government-Owned Entertainment Venues
The Family Arena and Equestrian Center have cost St. Charles taxpayers millions over the years.
Jason Law has a simple plan:
Sell the facilities. End the subsidies. Return the proceeds to taxpayers.
The numbers
For decades, St. Charles County taxpayers have been stuck paying for government-owned entertainment venues and horse barns that continue to lose money.
The Family Arena cost $27 million to build and has consumed more than $100 million in taxpayer investment while generating only about $60 million in revenue. Today, it continues to operate at an estimated $2 million annual loss, even after a recent $13 million renovation.
The National Equestrian Center was purchased for nearly $6 million, received another $6.1 million in upgrades, and is currently losing nearly half a million dollars per year.
Every year taxpayers continue to shoulder the burden and the $30+ million deficit.
County government should focus on roads, public safety, parks, and essential services—not operating arenas and horse barns.
Taxpayer investment vs. county revenue
The REALITY
25 Years Is Long Enough.
The St. Charles Family Arena opened in 1999. Since then, taxpayers have repeatedly been asked to support a facility that has struggled to consistently generate profits.
Over a decade ago, County Executive Steve Ehlmann admitted what many taxpayers have been saying for years about the Family Arena: "In hindsight, it wasn't the best project to do. Absolutely. In hindsight I wish we'd never done it."
Over a decade ago.
Even after a recent $13 million renovation, the county is still trying to solve the problem by using taxpayer dollars to hire outside consultants in attempts to sell the naming rights to the failing entertainment center (spoiler alert: the rights have not been sold).
If properties like the Family Arena and National Equestrian Center are losing the county money year after year AND costing taxpayers money, the solution is simple: SELL IT.
Don’t pay international consultants to put an bandaid on a gaping wound.
Give the money back to the people who paid for the county’s failed entertainment development ventures.
SELL THE BARN.
The CHOICE
Should St. Charles County government be operating arenas and horse barns?
Or should government focus on roads, public safety, parks, infrastructure, and essential services?
Jason Law believes government should govern.
The private sector should operate entertainment venues.
And taxpayers deserve their money back.
THE PLAN
As County Executive, Jason Law will pursue the sale of the Family Arena and National Equestrian Center to qualified private operators.
His plan is simple:
✓ End taxpayer subsidies
✓ End government ownership of wasteful entertainment facilities
✓ Return proceeds from any sale directly to taxpayers who have been robbed by the county over these failing multi-million dollar projects
✓ Refocus county government on core services
✓ Protect taxpayers from future financial risk
THE CASE STUDY
THE FACTORY VS. GOVERNMENT-OWNED VENUES
Why Private Ownership Works
Just 15 minutes from the St. Charles Family Arena sits one of the region's most successful entertainment venues: The Factory in Chesterfield. The Factory provides a real-world example of what happens when entertainment venues are owned and operated by the private sector instead of government.
The Factory Model
The Factory was built through private investment. Private owners assumed the financial risk. Private management books events, negotiates sponsorships, markets the venue, and operates the facility with one goal in mind: profitability. If attendance drops, private owners absorb the losses. If attendance grows, private owners earn the rewards. Taxpayers are not responsible for making up the difference.
The Government-Owned Model
The Family Arena and National Equestrian Center operate under a fundamentally different structure. When revenues fall short, taxpayers ultimately bear the burden. When renovations are needed, taxpayers help fund the improvements. When facilities struggle to remain competitive, government officials must search for new revenue sources, sponsorships, and operational solutions. The risk remains with taxpayers.
The Key Question
If private operators can successfully run entertainment venues, why should county government continue owning them? The question is not whether the Family Arena hosts valuable events. The question is not whether the National Equestrian Center attracts visitors. The question is whether county government should own and operate these facilities indefinitely.
What Private Ownership Could Mean
A private owner would have every incentive to:
Increase event bookings
Expand sponsorship opportunities
Modernize facilities
Improve customer experience
Increase profitability
Invest private capital rather than taxpayer dollars
The facility would continue serving residents and attracting visitors, but the financial risk would no longer belong to taxpayers.
Economic Development Without Government Ownership
Government's role should be creating an environment where businesses can succeed—not becoming the business itself. St. Charles County can support tourism, entertainment, and economic growth without owning arenas and horse facilities. Private ownership does not mean closing these venues. It means allowing professionals in the entertainment and event industries to operate them while county government focuses on its core responsibilities.
Jason Law's Approach
Jason Law believes the Family Arena and National Equestrian Center can continue serving the community under private ownership. His goal is not to eliminate these facilities. His goal is to eliminate taxpayer risk. The private sector should own the assets. The private sector should assume the risk. Taxpayers should receive the benefit.
the petition
FAQ
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NO. Jason Law was the first mayor in St. Charles County to pass a moratorium on apartment complexes in Lake St. Louis in 2021.
The St. Charles Family Arena & National Equestrian Center would be sold to private developers who are better equipped to operate the facilities. The profits of sale would be returned to the taxpayers who have been keeping these failing complexes afloat.
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The horses aren't going anywhere. The Equestrian Center would remain an equestrian facility, while private management could help attract more events, increase tourism, and reduce the financial burden on taxpayers. The goal is to preserve and strengthen the facility, not close it.
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High school events are important traditions, but they don't justify millions of dollars in taxpayer losses year after year.
St. Charles County should find a way to preserve graduations without asking taxpayers to continue subsidizing a facility that has become a financial burden.
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