Tue 3/11@ 6:30PM
When the so-called “Sin Tax” was first put on the ballot in 1990 to pay for the construction the Gateway Complex (Progressive Field and the Quicken Loans Arena) and later extended to pay for building a new stadium for the Browns, the tax was intended to expire in 2015.
Now proponents of providing professional sports teams with streams of public funding have pushed a renewal of this surcharge on alcohol and cigarettes onto the ballot a year early. It will be voted on during the May 6 primary.
Feelings are running high on both sides, with the pro side emphasizing the urgency of keeping the team owners happy and the anti side suggesting that perhaps billionaire team owners don’t need our tax dollars.
Civic Commons is hosting a debate, taking place at Sterle’s Country House.
It will feature Mark Rosentraub of the Michigan Center for Sports Management in favor of the renewal, and attorney Peter Pattakos and Cleveland city councilman Brian Cummins taking the opposing side.
It’s free and open to the public.
facebook.com/events/601076073317878/