Cedar Point and proposed parking tax

Actually, the city of Sandusky is on the verge of a budget defecit, which is why they're so desperate for money that they would tax only Cedar Point and no other industry, as one supporter of the park pointed out yesterday..
------------------
Free your mind.
05.15.03

I wonder how many people the City of Sandusky has laid off? I wonder how many officials in the City of Sandusky have taken pay decreases? I bet you the answer is none to each question.

I read in the paper that there was some discussion about school groups that charge for parking at events like football games to help raise money. Should they have to pay the tax?

This was a good way for the City to push away a valuable friend. The next time they need something from Cedar Point it will be interesting to see how the park responds. The article implies that they get nothing from Cedar Point and the parking tax is the way the City will be forced to give back. Well, every time CP builds a hotel it creates jobs for the City. There is a bed tax the City receives from every room the hotel books. There is the basic city taxes, employment taxes, etc.

What a crock.

5,000 seasonal employees dump a ton of money into Sandusky too, they should fire the financial advisor instead of tax one buisness, even more......

------------------
Matt - '02-'03 WT crew
Guest- "Are the towers supposed to move??" Me- "No, I just sit in a chair underneath it all day long, hoping it collapses on my head."

I agree with CP ofsetting the tax. I think that everyone should boycott any other business in the city to reduce the revenue they receive. The article states that CP already pays 25% of the tax collected for the entire city, I would think they were the largest tax payer in the city. So why tax them more. I don't want to CP loose money, but if everyone was to take a bus across the and not park, the city wouldn't get their money either.

Hopefully these people that voted this in, will not be re-elected. We can all try writing a protest e-mail to the city about it. The only address I found are Kelly Kresser kkresser@ci.sandusky.oh.us Joyce Brown jbrown@ci.sandusky.oh.us

Chief Wahoo, I do personally believe that the funds raised by school groups should be taxed as well, however those are non-profits most likely so I dont know how that would come into play. If they taxed the organizations however, it would probably destroy Cedar Point's argument that it only effects them.

------------------
ONE freeway stamp a day... ONE

In the Morning Journal (Lorain, OH) today (4/17) Cedar Point said it would not pass the cost of the tax onto the patrons, this year at least.

They were still considering taking the city to court.
------------------
tambo

Here is a link to that article.

------------------
Virtual Midway
http://www.virtualmidway.com

There's no point in boycotting anything because, as Walt has mentioned, very few of the off-point businesses we deal with are even in the city limits.

------------------
Jeff
Webmaster/GTTP - Sillynonsense.com
"The world rotates to The Ultra-Heavy Beat!" - KMFDM

What would the legal postition be on suing? I think CP should do something but I am not sure that the tax is "illegal". Just unethical.

I don't think the tax is right but I also wouldn't say CP is an angel and would never do something similar. Does anybody else remember the year that Cedar Point changed the park cost smack in the middle of the season? One day if you drove in you paid $X and the next day and for the rest of the season it was a dollar more.

That said, there have been a lot of letters to the editor to the Sandusky Register criticizing the City for doing this and for basically biting the hand that feeds them but I guess those letters fell on deaf ears.

The city would simply respond in kind. There is a myth running around that government is inherently ineffiecient. Its not...General Motors or the Post Office have equal rates of effieciency. You just dont read about all the waste at GM. When comparing large organisations you will find that effeciency rates are about the same.

The parking increase really bites! Raising local sales taxes, or local income taxes are a better idea; keeping in mind that I hate to pay taxes. The sales tax will impact the tourist who uses most of the services that the city provides rather than some isolated fee that might raise 2 million dollars if not less.

Government provides services that have to be paid for and unfortuneatley taxation is the only way. I just wish the wardsman would be a little more stingy with the cash. When does it ever end?

---

Gemini said:
From the Toledo Blade:
Sandusky officials table proposal for parking tax

The Sandusky Register had more information, but the story on their web site is only available to paid subscribers. The story said that Cedar Point is threatening legal action if Sandusky commissioners add the 8% parking tax. The legislation for the tax doesn't specifically name Cedar Point, but since Cedar Point is the only business in town that charges a parking fee, it is the only business affected.

The article went on to say that if the tax was passed, Cedar Point would not pay it or would pay under protest. The city is not considering raising its 3% admission tax.

------------------
Virtual Midway
http://www.virtualmidway.com
*** This post was edited by Gemini 3/27/2003 9:35:46 AM ***

---

600k$ heck thats not even going to cover the cost of collecting the tax. God what drug did the Sandusky City council take cos I want some!

---

putergeek said:
What would the legal postition be on suing? I think CP should do something but I am not sure that the tax is "illegal". Just unethical.

---

From what I hear, they are planning on taking every aspect of City taxation to court on the basis of excessive burden and illegal exploitation of one business...they have been having issues with taxes in the past but dropped them because they figured it would be the end of it...

Since this proves the city will just keep taxing CP until they fight back CP is planning on taking them to court...at least from what i hear...

John

If Cedar Point actually did do away with the parking fee suddenly and at the same time raised their admission fee in an amount that overall would equal the lost parking revenues -- or if they switched the parking and toll fees, then couldn't the city could consider that pretty obvious tax evasion.
*** This post was edited by CPAnimal 4/19/2003 11:54:01 PM ***

Well my parents are going to be happy when I tell them that the parking is still $8.00.

------------------
Corey
Times Going Full Force - 19

I doubt they would ever get rid of the parking fee in favor of higher ticket prices. When people are comparing parks, they look at ticket prices, not whether or not that park charges for parking.

------------------
-Chris Woodard
"If you're standing in an uncomfortable position, that means you are in the right position because you are riding Mantis!" - Mantis ride op doing spiels on closing day.