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O'Fallon holds public hearings on Park Place sales and amusement taxes
Summary
The O'Fallon City Council opened and closed two public hearings on proposed taxes for the Park Place development: a 1% business district sales tax and a 5% amusement tax for on-site activities. No members of the public spoke for or against either proposal; the sales-tax proposal will be discussed again at the community development committee.
The O'Fallon City Council on March 17 held public hearings on two proposed taxes that would apply only inside the planned Park Place development.
Under the first proposal, the city would establish a business district that levies a 1% tax on items sold inside Park Place, the old food factory site and the adjacent sports park. According to the presentation to the council, revenues from the 1% tax would be rebated to the developer or to the city when sales occur inside the public sports park. The mayor opened the hearing and asked for public comment; no one spoke. The council closed the hearing the same evening. The item will be discussed again at the community development committee meeting on March 24.
The council then opened a second hearing on an amusement tax limited to the Park Place development. Under the ordinance described to the council, the tax would be 5% on qualifying activities operated inside Park Place; 4% of the tax would be rebated to the individual business that collects it and 1% would be retained by the city to cover administration. City staff identified likely taxable activities as golf, rock climbing and pickleball; the council noted those are the only activities discussed at this stage. One speaker asked whether amusement tax could cover other items such as video gaming or streaming; staff replied the Park Place proposal is intended to apply only to the on-site activities described. No members of the public spoke in favor or against the amusement-tax proposal, and the council closed that hearing at 7:06 p.m.
Both proposals were described by council staff as limited to the Park Place development and to the listed venues, and not to affect businesses or residents elsewhere in O'Fallon. The council will consider the proposals further in committee before any final vote.
