Photo courtesy BoddaH1994
Kings Island is encouraging ticket buyers to fight a new tax on admission and parking fees. The website now sports a pop-up message about the tax and who to contact in order to protest it. This tax is not aimed at Kings Island, but at the thousands of people who attend the park each year.
At the November 9th Mason City council meeting, new tax ordinances were introduced in first readings. These taxes would increase admission prices in Mason by 3%, and increase parking taxes by 5%. Tax opposers ask that the council find better ways to cut spending instead of discouraging visitors to one of it's most valuable assets. Tough economic times are the reasoning behind both sides of the argument.
The new tax means that your ticket price and parking fees next year will be increased for your Kings Island or Beach Waterpark visit. For a video of the council meeting and details about the tax, see the ful report.
A pop-up at the Kings Island site asks patrons to oppose the new tax. Photo courtesy of Kings Island
To voice your opinion on being assessed an admissions and parking tax when you visit Kings Island, your attendance is needed. This short stop in Mason may save you cash for years to come.
This meeting is open to the public.
When: November 23, 7:00 pm
Where: Mason City Building located at 6000 Mason-Montgomery Road (Get Map and Directions)
You can also contact the Mason council via phone and email: 513-229-8500 or via email at council@masonoh.org
Tax details:
Photo courtesy BoddaH1994
Kings Island and those opposed to the tax offer the following points to present to the city. See the the full report for quotes from both sides and an estimate of what it could cost you next year.
Bad for the Entire Area - Warren County’s #1 industry is tourism. This tax will create a negative effect that will be felt by other businesses in the area. This tax will be especially damaging to area hotels, restaurants, and service stations.
Job Cuts and Future Investment - Fewer visitors will result in the elimination of full time and seasonal jobs at Kings Island and many other area attractions and businesses.
Terrible Timing - With so many people struggling in this economy, this idea couldn’t come at a worse time. Many families and companies are forced to make cuts to survive the current downturn. Why should the city of Mason be an exception?
Credibility Issue - A promise was made that an admissions tax would never be enacted when Kings Island was annexed into the city of Mason in 1997. What confidence can other business prospects have?
Kings Island Employees Pay City Taxes - Park employees have paid nearly $440,000 to the city of Mason in income tax over the past two seasons.
Kings Island Pays Police - Over the past two seasons, Kings Island has paid nearly $110,000 to cover the cost of Mason Police patrolling the park with no cost to the city of Mason.
Bad for Kings Island - A forced price increase of any kind will have a strong, negative effect on overall attendance and revenues and could prevent further expansion and development.
Far Less Traffic Now Than in 1997 - Kings Island entertains nearly 1 million less people each year than when it was annexed into the city of Mason. During that same period, the city of Mason has nearly tripled in size.
Read the full report on this new tax...
Do you agree with the new tax?
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