Atlanta Considers Ticket Surcharge Amid Budget Shortfall
Atlanta City Councilman Jim Maddox is seeking to "tack on a $1 surcharge to tickets for professional sports events and major concerts held in the city" at venues that "seat thousands," according to Eric Stirgus of the ATLANTA CONSTITUTION. Maddox pitched the surcharge idea to help "defray some of the cost to have police officers work at the sites and for city crews to clean up afterward." Atlanta currently faces a $140M budget shortfall and Mayor Shirley Franklin has proposed a "property tax increase to help fill the gap." Council members noted that Atlanta has a $1 surcharge on city-owned venues. And Stirgus writes some worry that the fee "would discourage some performers from doing shows in Atlanta." City officials have "pursued the idea several times in recent years with little success." Atlanta Councilwoman Clair Muller in '99 proposed a $1 surcharge, but it failed because "some colleagues worried it would violate contracts between the city and the Braves and Hawks." Chicago and Cleveland collect an 8% "amusement tax" on tickets to NFL games, and Pittsburgh has a 5% "amusement tax" on pro sports tickets. Similar ideas in Detroit and Indianapolis have failed (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 5/24).
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