City to reduce Chevrolet Centre ticket tax

YOUNGSTOWN —The cost to attend an event at the Chevrolet Centre is expected to get cheaper.

City council on Wednesday will consider reducing the admission tax charged on tickets to events at the center from 9.5 percent to 5.5 percent.

If council approves the change, it would probably go into effect Aug. 1, said Kyle Miasek, the city’s deputy finance director.

The 9.5 percent tax generated about $82,000 for the city between February and May, he said. With a 5.5 percent tax during that same time period, the city’s profit would have been about $47,500. An amount for June wasn’t available Monday.

“It’s the city’s desire to make all events more affordable,” Miasek said about reducing the tax.

Instead of paying $4.75 in admission tax on a ticket with a face value of $50 under the current policy, a center patron would pay $2.75 in admission tax on the same ticket under the proposed change.

The reduction wouldn’t impact the cost of events at the center that are already on sale such as the July 25 WWE RAW wrestling show and the Sept. 17 Blue Man Group concert. Contracts for those events are already signed with the 9.5 percent tax included, Miasek said.

A price reduction should attract more patrons to the city-owned entertainment and sports facility, Miasek said.

Also, promoters have told the city that they’d be willing to book more events at the center if the admission tax is reduced, Miasek said.

For the complete story, read Tuesday’s Vindicator or vindy.com