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StumbleuponKings Island threatens to de-annex from Mason
Park official balks at proposed tax, says they will return to Deerfield Twp.
Comment: Should Mason enact a ticket tax?
Thursday, June 26, 2008
MASON — Kings Island is threatening to de-annex from Mason if the city imposes a ticket tax.
General Manager Greg Scheid said he sent Mason Mayor Tom Grossmann a letter several weeks ago promising to pull out.
"If they go through with this, we will proceed with trying to legally detach and go back to Deerfield Twp.," Scheid said. "We will try to get back to Deerfield Twp. by all means."
The Mason Finance Committee is considering whether it should recommend a 1 percent to 3 percent admissions tax on local tourist attractions like Kings Island and The Beach Waterpark.
If Kings Island were to secede, it would be a financial blow to the city. Income tax amounts are confidential, but Finance Director Joe Reigelsperger said in 2007 Kings Island ranked 7th in terms of income tax withholdings for the city. The park also paid $130,232 in property taxes to the city.
The Ohio Revised Code states that a municipality must approve a detachment, but Scheid said there are provisions that may crack the door open for the park to leave Mason.
Grossmann said the threat doesn't worry him much.
"I haven't looked up the law on this, but no one can de-annex without the city's approval," he said. "Absent that, they'd have to get legislation through the state of Ohio. People can't just get up and say, 'I want to leave.'"
Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4525 or dcallahan@coxohio.com.
Comments
By BigPapaJon
June 27, 2008 7:57 AM | Link to this
As a Kings Island fan and a Libertarian, I am torn on the issue. On one hand, it is true that Kings Island’s guests use the roads and utilities to a large extent. On the other, they also pump a huge amount of tax dollars into the Mason area already.
1-3% would not be a huge deal to most people. But it is not okay to tax just because it is not much money. The perception of this tax by consumers will be more negative than its true effect.
My 2 cents: find it somewhere else.
By pamela
June 26, 2008 9:11 PM | Link to this
It’s a shame that everything is so expensive now. Children can’t enjoy entertainment like we used to. The price to get into King’s Island is to much. Lower the price, and make it affordable, just like the good old days.
By John Doe
June 26, 2008 3:10 PM | Link to this
MMS- you should not call yourself names. If the shoe fits, wear it.
By Tim
June 26, 2008 2:51 PM | Link to this
I agree on the Bradburn comments. He wants Mason to be the next Springdale, should we rename it Springson or Masondale?? Bradburn, you think you know everything, but you don’t. You have been terribly mislead and making Kings Island leave would be a terrible mistake. You helped cut the city’s earned income tax, and cut these employees from KI and see what happens. Masondale will go broke very soon. Bradburn, Worsebacher and Grossman all need to pack their bags.
By RLS
June 26, 2008 2:38 PM | Link to this
This is all Councilman Bradburn’s grad idea, he came from Springdale and wants to make Mason the next Springdale. First he attacks our fine Fire Department with his co-hort Mayor Pelfrey, gets rid of their leadership because of two house fires, yet when the new leaders allow a citizen to DIE, nothing, no comments, nothing negative. They cut the income tax to “help the citizens” now they want to TAX the citizens who come to KI. Hey Kings Island, go ahead, pull out and watch Bradburn cry!
By Fredo
June 26, 2008 2:09 PM | Link to this
Mason = worst urban sprawl in America. Grew up in Loveland, ran with kids in Mason. We were all hillbillies. Used to be 1 red light between Fields Ertle and 42 in Moason. Now there is like 42 red lights. Good job Mason. Just a few years ago, the totem pole was: Loveland 1 Kings 2 Mason 3 Goshen 4 Now Mason thinks they are Indian Hill. Kings thinks they are Blue Ash. And Loveland is the worst of all. But I still like Goshen ….
By jackbo
June 26, 2008 2:03 PM | Link to this
mason is greedy; they most likely have a hotel tax which is anywhere from 6-9%; i believe kings island when they say people will stay away if prices go up; mason has continually annexed deerfield townsip everytime a farm is sold and subdivided into a subdivision - let them try to impose the tax; kings island will leave and it really doesn’t matter to me; i haven’t been to kings island in 30+ years
By jackbo
June 26, 2008 2:03 PM | Link to this
mason is greedy; they most likely have a hotel tax which is anywhere from 6-9%; i believe kings island when they say people will stay away if prices go up; mason has continually annexed deerfield townsip everytime a farm is sold and subdivided into s subdivision - let them try to impose the tax; kings island will leave and it really doesn’t matter to me; i haven’t been to kings island in 30+ years
By typical
June 26, 2008 1:32 PM | Link to this
typical politicians - tax and spend instead of looking at things to cut. Tax Tax Tax That is all the politicians know.
By Concerned
June 26, 2008 1:10 PM | Link to this
Mason’s tax rate is 1%. If you look at the Cincinnati and Dayton area, it is one of the lowest around! Cincinnati taxes at 2.1% and Dayton is at 2.25%! Blou’s comment is wrong about the tax credit. You pay where you work in Ohio, you get credit if the city you live in allows you to in their laws.
By Blou
June 26, 2008 12:52 PM | Link to this
I knew Mason was a “Goody Two-shoes Town” when I started working in Mason and discovered they don’t give credit on their local tax when a citizen lives/pays taxes in another taxing municipality. Then they informed my boss he had to plant 300 trees when he wanted to expand. I’d have told the city they know where they can put their two shoes and trees and moved to West Chester or Deerfield!
By Julie
June 26, 2008 12:39 PM | Link to this
Doesn’t matter to me. I stopped going to King’s Island because of the ridiculous prices for food and drink, the rudeness of the park employees, and the fact that King’s Island has become so filthy dirty.
By FORMERMASONITE
June 26, 2008 12:13 PM | Link to this
Just watch. It won’t be tomorrow, but businesses, like KI, will move out and soon Mason will be just like Middletown is now.
By Charlotte Aiken
June 26, 2008 12:11 PM | Link to this
How about our governement lowering the price of gas, rent, utilities, food, so we can afford to live. Give us a 5.00 pay increase to try to help with these problems. If we don’t/can’t pay these bills we loose our homes, and even worse they take our children. Let KI leave if they do it, they are only hurting themselves. They will find a away to tax “US” to get the 20 million they need. I say screw them all and let them help us for a change.
By Charlotte Aiken
June 26, 2008 12:06 PM | Link to this
You have to be kidding me!!!! We are having enough problems now, and everyone wants more and more money. leave them alone! Vectren wants a 50% increase next winter, how are we suppose to come up with it. and with others on fixed income, how are they suppose to come up with it? IF things continue the way they are our government is going to force us to come up with other ways of making money and you will see crime rise higher than you have ever seen it. Some people are even loosing there homes.
By FormerMasonite
June 26, 2008 11:54 AM | Link to this
I hope KI does pull out of Mason. I agree with others. City management is awful - heck, they tore the streets up for a freakin circle - most likely with KI’s $$. And yes they can pull out, because they will take it to the State. Take your huge, forclosing homes in Mason, buy ‘em up and resell ‘em. Or maybe just tear them down and lets see mason with some greenspace again!
By patsy
June 26, 2008 11:50 AM | Link to this
I read earlier this morning in the Cincy Enquirer that Mason is spending $20 million to expand their palatial rec center that, according to their City Manager, is “…outdated and becoming obsolete”. Has anyone seen this place? You’ve got to be kidding me! Here’s an idea…save the $20 mill and don’t penalize the park or more importantly, it’s paying customers, for your financial ineptness!
By Do the math
June 26, 2008 11:27 AM | Link to this
I’m surprised that all these stories and comments omit one important calculation. I have not been to KI for a little while, but I think the admission price is about $50. That would make a 1% tax equal to 50 cents per ticket,; 3% = $1.50. Does KI or anyone else really think that would affect someone’s decision to attend KI? If they’re so worried about high costs, maybe they could make a small Coke cost less than $3.00
By C Campbell
June 26, 2008 11:18 AM | Link to this
Look at Mason and there schools it is unreal the money this city has. So what do they try and do, get more money from the people who visit Kings Island. The ticket prices are so out of hand now and these greedy fools what more for there rich little city. What a group of idiots.
By C Campbell
June 26, 2008 11:17 AM | Link to this
Look at Mason and there schools it is unreal the money this city has. So what do they try and do, get more money from the people who visit Kings Island. The ticket prices are so out of hand now and these greedy fools what more for there rich little city. What a group of idiots.
By C Campbell
June 26, 2008 11:16 AM | Link to this
Look at Mason ans there schools it is unreal the money this city has. So what do they try and do, get more money from the people who visit Kings Island. The ticket prices are so out of hand now and these greedy fools what more more for there rich little. What a group of idiots.
By Rob
June 26, 2008 11:14 AM | Link to this
Hehehe…vent all you like, this is going to happen. The tax that is, not the seceding part. The fact that Mason DOES NOT tax it yet is a surprise to me. Truthfully, most cities levy a tax on entertainment venues like ballparks and the like and the size of Mason’s proposal is well within the norm. Shoot, have you ever looked at a hotel bill or a car rental bill? Same thing.
By Jessica
June 26, 2008 10:30 AM | Link to this
The prices are alredy to expensive as is. They should not raise the taxes anymore if anything they should lower the prices on everything!!!
By Bowling Ball Roll
June 26, 2008 10:14 AM | Link to this
Tax all the games… stuffed animals, mirrors with elvis… big crazy hats… henna tatoos, and especially tax the winnings from the bowling ball roll and softball basket toss games… those games are simply money making rackets that the good people of Mason are not benefiting from. Vortex forever!!! … and yeah my face is pained like a bengal tiger… whats up… gotta problem… wanna fight… I’ll see you at the Viking Ship… 3:00 sharp.
By Top Gun
June 26, 2008 10:07 AM | Link to this
Top Gun is the best ride …EVER. Forget taxing tickets we should be taxing individual rides… Antique Cars $0.25 a ride, plus a carbon emissions tax… the Beast… $1.00, Beast JR. RIP… we’ll pay you $5.00 just to get on that death trap… Tax the funnel cakes… tax anyone who wears torn jean shorts into the part an extra 3%… Tax screaming kids with sticky hands… Tax the Beach just for that stupid carribean sounding theme song… ahhhhhhh my head is going to explode!!!!
By Rob Cincy
June 26, 2008 10:00 AM | Link to this
Mason is in trouble, their mayor knows less than DDN beat writer about the bylaws of the city governance. More to the point their mayor sounds arrogant. Even though KI’s new ownership is poorly running the park, I hope they stick it to Mason on this one and not because of jelousy because their houses are so big and 4ft from each other… You know everyone wants that! But because leaders should be just that and this is not innovative this is like telling the cops we need to write more tickets=$
By painfultruth
June 26, 2008 9:51 AM | Link to this
If you drive a car, I’ll tax the street If you try to sit, I’ll tax your seat If you get too cold, I’ll tax the heat If you take a walk, I’ll tax your feet
Sound familiar?
TAXMAN
By Andrew H
June 26, 2008 9:45 AM | Link to this
Well the mason train as i refer to it as is slowing down so they are trying to get additional money at any cost. The growth they once enjoyed is not happnening any more. So they want a 1 - 3 percent tax? Yeah right people that would make outrageous ticket prices even more outrageous. Lets see what happens on this.
By Andrew H
June 26, 2008 9:45 AM | Link to this
Well the mason train as i refer to it as is slowing down so they are trying to get additional money at any cost. The growth they once enjoyed is not happnening any more. So they want a 1 - 3 percent tax? Yeah right people that would make outrageous ticket prices even more outrageous. Lets see what happens on this.
By JS
June 26, 2008 9:04 AM | Link to this
About 10-15 years ago Mason lured Kings Island in with the threat of Deerfield becoming a city. They promised them no changes if they would dump old Deerfield. Ha. Kings Island deserves this for leaving a great situation (no income tax at all) for Mason’s glitzy promises. I’m surprised that they didn’t see this coming…
By Former Mason resident
June 26, 2008 9:04 AM | Link to this
I am sooooo glad I no longer live in Mason and it is my hometown. They have become too big for their collective britches! There are a lot of Mason natives who have moved on to somewhere else within Warren county to escape the taxes and other issues of Mason. It is now full of transplants from Hamilton County and other parts of the country who think the world revolves around them. A lot of the residents new to Mason are rude and arrogant.I guess they really deserve each other. Good riddance
By Tommy
June 26, 2008 9:03 AM | Link to this
Mason would lose a lot of monies from the police actions they spend a lot of time running radar up and down by Kings drop off and writing tickets. Mason might try to put up a toll booth on interstate 71 that would make a bundle.
By marsha
June 26, 2008 9:02 AM | Link to this
ditto for me MMS, simpleton is too kind
By m
June 26, 2008 8:55 AM | Link to this
I guess things like that happen when they pay almost all their city employees way over the wages of surrounding communities. Doesn’t their city manager make almost 200K Give me a break…..
By MMS
June 26, 2008 8:52 AM | Link to this
You’re a real simpleton, Glenn.
By glenn
June 26, 2008 8:46 AM | Link to this
Another big government story,it really gets old. They waste so much money,then they want more taxes anywhere they can find them. They would tax air if they could.