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With a special election just days away, one member of a hotel tax "Vote No" campaign wonders why his name is listed on "Vote Yes" materials.
The Ambassador Hotel is currently under renovation at the corner of Broadway and First Street in downtown Wichita. Originally, the city council voted to allow developers to keep a portion of its guest tax, something every hotel in the city charges, as an incentive to do business here.
That decision was later questioned - sparking Tuesday's special election. Now campaign mailings are raising questions as that date draws near.
Craig Gabel is a member of a group opposing the Ambassador Hotel receiving tax incentives. So imagine his surprise when his named popped up on "Vote Yes" flyer.
"People started calling me and emailing me and saying 'I didn't know you were a 'Vote Yes' guy, I thought you were a 'Vote No' guy.'"
The flyer lists the names of people who are in support of the hotel, among the names, Craig Gabel's.
We contacted the developer of the Ambassador Hotel who says that list was assembled by a company that made calls and recorded the names of people who said they supported the hotel.
"I got a call and I told her, 'hey you may as well save your breath because I'm one of the leaders of the opposition.' So, I'm almost certain my name wasn't selected in that fashion, but you never know," explains Gabel.
The hotel developer says there could be a number of reasons why Gabel's name ended up on the list but says he apologizes if it's a mistake.
Gabel says he plans to look into whether this breaks any election laws.
We contacted several of the other names on the list and everyone said they gave their permission to have their names printed.