By this fall, the Village Board might consider raising the amusement tax applied to Six Flags Great America admission prices and discuss whether to apply the tax to movie tickets or other entertainment activities.
Mayor Richard Welton told trustees this week that the issue of raising Gurnee’s amusement tax should be revisited because it could help the village deal with rising operating and infrastructure costs while possibly giving residents property-tax relief.
The issue came up at the board meeting during a brief presentation by Park District Board President Steve Kaplan. In his statement to the board, Kaplan said other communities in Illinois have used amusement taxes to assist park districts with projects that might otherwise not be financially feasible.
“The Park District has appreciated the help the village has provided in the past to support its efforts in establishing and enforcing developer donations and policies,” Kaplan said. “However, as our community has evolved, we realize that additional assistance is needed to support our mission and are looking to you for help.”
Six Flags Great America is required to collect a 40-cent tax on each ticket sold. During the 1995-96 fiscal year, the tax brought in slightly more than $1 million to the village, according to budget documents.
Welton’s proposal to consider raising the tax was rejected by Trustees Mark Ratfelders and Tracie Bullock.
“I am opposed to relooking at the amusement tax for the purpose of increasing it,” Ratfelders said. Bullock said she did not object to the issue being studied but would vote against any proposed increase or the addition of movie tickets to the tax.
