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Residents urge Harrisburg to save HMAC as council hears pleas about venue closures and 10% amusement tax
Summary
Multiple residents and performers told council the Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center (HMAC) is a cultural anchor and urged help resolving back taxes and reconsidering the city’s 10% amusement tax; tax administrator clarified the 10% rate is split 5% city/5% school district and is collected from patrons.
Dozens of residents and performers told Harrisburg City Council that the Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center (HMAC) is a vital community resource and urged officials to find a solution that keeps the venue open.
Speakers described HMAC as a safe space for poetry nights, drag brunches, music, small-business networking and youth programs. Ava Swift Warner, who identified herself as the daughter of HMAC owner Chris Warner, said losing the venue would erase a long-standing cultural anchor and would have measurable economic impacts; she cited research on off-site spending tied to independent venues.
Many commenters connected HMAC’s struggles to the city’s 10% amusement tax. Mike Hughes, the city’s tax administrator, clarified that the combined amusement-tax rate is 10 percent, split into 5 percent for the city and 5 percent for the school district, and that the tax is charged to patrons and remitted by venues. Hughes emphasized that some closures reflect national trends and that the city collects public records (liquor-license and tax filings) that can clarify individual business cases.
Speakers asked council to explore options including a payment plan for back taxes, use of available grant funds, targeted relief for small venues, and broader review of the tax’s impact on independent stages. Council did not enact immediate financial relief on the floor; members and city staff said they were open to follow-up discussions and recommended coordination among the clerk, law bureau and economic-development staff to seek practical solutions.
What happens next: council members encouraged stakeholders and the venue owners to continue discussions with city staff. City officials said they will look at the specifics of HMAC’s filings and any available grant funds and that staff can return with options to the council or relevant committee.
