CONFRONTING A STATEWIDE PARKING TAX : THE OHIO EXPERIENCE

This article describes the organizing efforts by the Ohio Parking Association, based in Cleveland, to fight a five percent sales tax on parking revenues. Consultants were hired to who build a website where individuals could log on and sign online petitions and receive materials to send to their elected representatives. The consultants also identified key legislators who were most receptive to the parking tax issue and who had the political influence to steer debate. A petition was developed for parking patrons, which resulted in more than 20,000 petitions handed out in Cleveland alone. The parking group recruited local entertainment and sports operators such as the Cleveland Browns, the Cleveland Indians, the Cavaliers, the Cedar Point Amusement Park and the Convention and Visitors Bureau with word that the tax would cut into their gate revenues. More than $100,000 was invested in the effort and hundreds of man-hours, to defeat what would have cost patrons nearly $45 million over two years. It was defeated in the house and has not been revived in the senate to date. This outcome was very different from the New York experience where there was no strong local parking association to unite the different factions.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/3041176
• Corporate Authors:

  National Parking Association

  1112 16th Street, NW, Suite 300
  Washington, DC  United States  20036
• Authors:
  • Swenson, E
• Publication Date: 2003-7

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 50-53
• Serial:
  • Parking: the magazine of the parking industry
  • Volume: 42
  • Issue Number: 6
  • Publisher: National Parking Association
  • ISSN: 0031-2193

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Costs; Parking industry; Taxes; Trade associations
• Geographic Terms: Ohio
• Subject Areas: Economics; Finance; Highways; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00961151
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: UC Berkeley Transportation Library
• Files: BTRIS, TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 4 2003 12:00AM