The SPAC tax: why it won’t happen
The city of Saratoga Springs is exploring the possibility of slapping a $2 per ticket charge on the heads of pop music fans attending concerts at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.
While the measure could generate about $400,000 annually coming into city coffers (a way to replenish the reserve fund as Accounts Commissioner John Franck suggested Monday), it is a distant possibility, at best.
Here’s why:
- SPAC is against it (see: how on-street parking got derailed by business owners’ concerns, 2009).
- The state Legislature must approve it (see: how the state took away $4 million in VLT revenue, 2008).
- SPAC is not a city-owned facility.
While Finance Commissioner Ken Ivins said a “facility fee” is common practice among area rock ‘n’ roll arenas, what he neglected to say was that those arenas are owned by the municipality in which they sit.
The Glens Falls Civic Center, which is owned by the city of Glens Falls, charges a $1 fee for concerts and hockey games. The TU Center, which is owned by Albany County, charges a similar fee with the money used to make improvements at the arena ($3 million has been made between November 2001 and May 2009).
SPAC sits in a state park, on state land and receives capital improvement funding from the state office of parks. Additionally, state police and park police provide the primary response.
State, state and state (see #2 above for a reminder of the state’s dealings with the city).
Still, it shouldn’t all be about the money. Since moving to the area around 10 years ago, I figure I must have covered about three dozen or so shows at SPAC. Some brilliant, some downright awful, but each providing some kind of memorable experience.
The most memorable however — and we’re talking memorable here, not necessarily talented — was a special guest appearance on the SPAC stage that occurred in June 2008. Cost of admission: free. Experience: priceless.
Thankfully, Post-Star photographer Erin Reid Coker was on hand with his camera to document the event.
– Thomas Dimopoulos
Tags: saratoga springs, spac
If it’s “state, state, state” then why do Saratoga springs CITY police and Saratoga COUNTY Sheriff deputies get involved with traffic control, and lock-ups in the CITY jail?
It’s the CITY taxpayers who get the bill for OT.
Only 88 new taxes this year!! I knew they must have missed one somewhere. Oh well, the carbon footprint tax, mileage tax, and the cost of cap and trade will at least qualify most of us for public assistance. Got taxes,got welfare?
Those crazy tin foil hat people that said we would one day find ourselves beholding to the bankers.
Only 88 new taxes this year!! I know they must have missed one somewhere. Oh well, the carbon footprint tax, mileage tax, and the cost of cap and trade will at least qualify most of us for public assistance. Got taxes,got welfare?
Those crazy tin foil hat people that said we would one day find ourselves beholding to the bankers.
No matter how foolish we think GF pols are, we can always look southward!