Surcharge at Leach Amphitheater proposal coming to council again
The idea of a facility charge or surcharge for tickets to performances/events at the Leach Amphitheater has been discussed by the Oshkosh Common Council at least twice previously and formally proposed at least once that I can recall, but failed to get enough support from the council in order to pass. It also was opposed by concert organizers, promoters. Now, with even tighter budget constraints, a garbage fee in place for the last quarter of this year and cuts being proposed in emergency services as well as other areas, the idea is being proposed once again. And, like in the past, it is councilman Paul Esslinger leading the charge.
Esslinger stated at last Tuesday’s Common Council meeting he intends to bring the idea back at the next meeting (Oct. 24). The ordinance he’s sponsoring would, according to an article in this morning’s Oshkosh Northwestern, call for a $1 surcharge on any ticket costing more than $5, beginning with the 2007 season of performances. The money would be used to cover debt payments on the facility first – which costs about $20,000 per month, according to the article – then to help offset or pay for in their entirety non-routine improvements, upgrades and repairs to the amphitheater.
It is hard to know whether this proposal will get enough support from his fellow councilors to pass; but it certainly should. It’s no secret that many people who attend performances at the Leach are coming here from out of town. Why should they not help pay for a facility they’re using?
Mayor William Castle was quoted in the Northwestern article as saying he does not support a facility charge at this time. "It's something I don't want to take off the table permanently, but the thought of that kind of surcharge on top of the low price tickets down there is just too high of a percentage (increase),” he said.
While I appreciate what he is saying about the amount of $1 in comparison to the ticket prices themselves, I don’t think it should be the determining factor. First, the facility gets the same amount of use, regardless of the ticket prices. One could even argue that with lower ticket prices, more people might take advantage of certain performances, therefore causing the facility to sustain even greater wear and tear. Second, I think it defies common-sense to think that a $1 per ticket surcharge is going to cause anyone to not attend a performance. I think such an argument is absurd, but if a concert organizer is concerned with that possibility, they could always lower their own price by a buck to offset the facility surcharge. Third, a cursory glance on the Internet at different venues shows that facilities around the country charge anywhere from $1 to $4 per ticket, though some might even have higher prices. I found one facility that charged a $6 per series fee – like for the Waterfest concert series, for example – and many that charge not only a facility charge, but also for parking. On top of that, some even charge a handling fee on tickets ordered by phone, email, fax and U.S. mail.
There are also online ticket services that sell tickets to performances at the Leach and they, too, are going to charge a fee. After all, it’s a business for them.
It sounds from the article like PMI, the Green Bay-based promoters of the Leach, will be speaking at the Oct. 24 meeting to explain the ramifications of such a fee. I can’t imagine what they will say that could possibly deter a council member from voting in favor of the surcharge. Again, plenty of other venues charge such a fee and they are no worse for the wear. If they were, I suspect they would do away with it.
I personally believe this fee should have been in place a long time ago already. But if ever there was a time that screamed for it, that time is now. Councilman Esslinger deserves credit for staying on top of this and bringing the idea up again, especially in light of the serious budget predicament the city is in; and his fellow councilors need to support this ordinance. It’s $1, folks; that’s far less than most things you’ve asked people to pay for.
Esslinger stated at last Tuesday’s Common Council meeting he intends to bring the idea back at the next meeting (Oct. 24). The ordinance he’s sponsoring would, according to an article in this morning’s Oshkosh Northwestern, call for a $1 surcharge on any ticket costing more than $5, beginning with the 2007 season of performances. The money would be used to cover debt payments on the facility first – which costs about $20,000 per month, according to the article – then to help offset or pay for in their entirety non-routine improvements, upgrades and repairs to the amphitheater.
It is hard to know whether this proposal will get enough support from his fellow councilors to pass; but it certainly should. It’s no secret that many people who attend performances at the Leach are coming here from out of town. Why should they not help pay for a facility they’re using?
Mayor William Castle was quoted in the Northwestern article as saying he does not support a facility charge at this time. "It's something I don't want to take off the table permanently, but the thought of that kind of surcharge on top of the low price tickets down there is just too high of a percentage (increase),” he said.
While I appreciate what he is saying about the amount of $1 in comparison to the ticket prices themselves, I don’t think it should be the determining factor. First, the facility gets the same amount of use, regardless of the ticket prices. One could even argue that with lower ticket prices, more people might take advantage of certain performances, therefore causing the facility to sustain even greater wear and tear. Second, I think it defies common-sense to think that a $1 per ticket surcharge is going to cause anyone to not attend a performance. I think such an argument is absurd, but if a concert organizer is concerned with that possibility, they could always lower their own price by a buck to offset the facility surcharge. Third, a cursory glance on the Internet at different venues shows that facilities around the country charge anywhere from $1 to $4 per ticket, though some might even have higher prices. I found one facility that charged a $6 per series fee – like for the Waterfest concert series, for example – and many that charge not only a facility charge, but also for parking. On top of that, some even charge a handling fee on tickets ordered by phone, email, fax and U.S. mail.
There are also online ticket services that sell tickets to performances at the Leach and they, too, are going to charge a fee. After all, it’s a business for them.
It sounds from the article like PMI, the Green Bay-based promoters of the Leach, will be speaking at the Oct. 24 meeting to explain the ramifications of such a fee. I can’t imagine what they will say that could possibly deter a council member from voting in favor of the surcharge. Again, plenty of other venues charge such a fee and they are no worse for the wear. If they were, I suspect they would do away with it.
I personally believe this fee should have been in place a long time ago already. But if ever there was a time that screamed for it, that time is now. Councilman Esslinger deserves credit for staying on top of this and bringing the idea up again, especially in light of the serious budget predicament the city is in; and his fellow councilors need to support this ordinance. It’s $1, folks; that’s far less than most things you’ve asked people to pay for.
posted by Cheryl Hentz at 7:36 AM
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