After months of contentious public debate, Dallas residents voted Saturday to defeat a referendum that would have blocked the city from funding a publicly-owned anchor hotel for the Dallas Convention Center, reports The Dallas Morning News.The construction of a much-needed convention center hotel has been the subject of considerable controversy in Dallas during the past year. While city officials have been quick to point out the economic benefits that a city-owned hotel would bring to Dallas in the way of additional meetings and conventions business, opponents have argued that taxpayers will ultimately be responsible for funding the project, which some insist will struggle due to the nation's economic downturn.Because of its misgivings, a group known as Citizens Against the Taxpayer Owned Hotel lobbied to take the issue to voters with a ballot initiative known as Proposition 1, which would have amended Dallas' city charter to prevent public ownership of convention hotels. Dallas voters defeated Proposition 1 last weekend, however, by a margin of 51 percent to 49 percent in favor of "Vote No, Dallas," a group formed by Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert's office in support of the convention hotel."It's a giant victory for the Dallas taxpayers," Leppert said at a victory rally, according to The Dallas Morning News. "We're going to move this forward. We're going to make good on our promises. We're going to make a good deal for the taxpayers of Dallas."Added Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau President and CEO Phillip Jones in a statement, "Our 30-year wait for an attached convention center hotel is finally over."The only remaining hurdle facing the project—a $500 million, four-star, 1,000-room Omni hotel that's scheduled to open in 2011—is the sale of revenue bonds that will fund its construction.