COLUMBUS – It was a busy night at Columbus City Hall as City Council voted to adopt a pair of ticket taxes and an agreement to contribute to a new home for the Columbus Crew.
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Council voted unanimously Monday to approve two separate 5 percent ticket taxes on cultural and sporting events in the city, one on events costing more than $10 a ticket at venues with more than 400 seats, except for Nationwide Arena. That tax will raise $6 million for arts groups through the Greater Columbus Arts Council, which proposed the original 7 percent ticket surcharge.
The second tax would be charged for events at the arena and is expected to generate an estimated $2.4 million for arena repairs and $600,000 for the arts.
A group of opponents still plan to gather signatures for a ballot referendum on the arts tax and file a legal challenge against the arena tax.
The council also approved a memorandum of understanding, under which the city will contribute $50 million in public improvements for site development and infrastructure related to the new Arena District soccer stadium for the Columbus Crew and converting the Crew’s current Mapfre Stadium into a community sports park.