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Cinemark urges Milford to keep admissions tax at 3% as council considers broader changes
Summary
Cinemark's Milford manager urged council not to raise the city's 3% admissions tax, arguing higher tax would reduce attendance and hurt local businesses. Council asked staff for revenue impacts and whether the tax is being applied consistently to other ticketed events.
Shad Barth, general manager of Cinemark Milford 16, addressed Milford City Council during the Sept. 2 public comment period, urging officials to keep the city's admissions tax at its current 3% and warning that a higher rate would raise ticket prices, reduce attendance and harm nearby businesses that benefit from pre‑ and post‑movie spending.
Barth told council that the city’s 3% rate (listed in local code as a 'cinema admission tax') is comparable to Cincinnati and struck a balance between raising revenues and keeping tickets affordable. He said four nearby competitors currently operate in locations without an admission tax and that raising the rate in Milford would make the theater less competitive for price‑sensitive customers.
Council took up a broader discussion later in the meeting about renaming and expanding the local 'cinema tax' to a broader admissions tax consistent with the Ohio Revised Code, and about possible rate increases. City Manager Gunderson presented examples from other Ohio cities (Monroe at 5%, Columbus at 5%, Cleveland at 8%) and noted the council could include exemptions (for example, some ordinances exclude admissions under $10).
Council members asked staff to return with data including: how much the city currently collects from the admissions tax, projected additional revenue at alternative rates (e.g., 5%), and a list of other ticketed events or operators that may not currently be charged but might fall under a broader admissions definition. No change was adopted the night of the meeting; staff will prepare the requested analysis for a future meeting.
Quote: "Raising the admission tax would be regressive... I urge you to keep Milford cinema admission tax at 3%." — Shad Barth, Cinemark Milford 16
Next steps: staff will prepare a revenue estimate, an inventory of other potentially taxable admission events, and draft language if council wishes to broaden the operator definition or set exemptions for low‑priced admissions.
