Strongsville Admission Tax on Cinemark Theater Voted Down

Strongsville City Council voted down a proposed 3 percent admission tax that would have affected the Cinemark movie theater in SouthPark Mall on Monday, according to Cleveland.com.

The tax would have been charged to customers purchasing tickets at the theater. It would also be charged to tickets for events at the OBM Arena ice-skating rink.

The measure would have raised an estimated $100,000 to $125,000 annually for the city. Residents wouldn't have been affected much by the tax as 70% of SouthPark Mall visitors come from outside of Strongsville, according to Council President Duke Southworth.

The proposal was part of a push to find new revenue for Strongsville as the state of Ohio has cut funding to municipalities in the past few years. According to Finance Director Joe Dubovec, Strongsville has lost around $2.3 million a year due to the cuts.

According to Dubovec, 34 out of 38 Cuyahoga County municipalities already charge an admission tax, and most business and organizations would be exempt.

Before the vote, Lisa Shepherd, Cinemark's Great Lakes regional leader, and Jarrod Barber, Strongsville Cinemark's general manager, called the tax unfair and argued that the measure would lead to employee layoffs and decreased security.

Mayor Thomas Perciak shot back, "You wouldn't be here if there wasn't a mall. And if there wasn't safety in the mall, you wouldn't be operating here. So let's call a spade a spade."

Last month, Mayor Perciak said retail businesses only bring in 15% of Strongsville operating revenues but the city spends 50% of its operating budget on safety.