Bill Seeks Tax Exemption For Oakdale

Local officials are taking another stab at exempting the Toyota Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford, Conn., from a state 10 percent admissions tax.

Rep. Mary Mushinsky, along with two co-sponsors, re-introduced a bill to grant the same exemption from the tax that was granted last year to Dunkin’ Donuts Park in Hartford and New Britain Stadium.

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Members of Wallingford, Conn.’s legislative delegation are again seeking to exempt the Toyota Oakdale Theatre from the admissions tax, according to the Hartford Record-Journal.

The Oakdale became subject in 1998 to the admissions tax, which financed bonding for the state’s portion of a $10 million renovation project. Nonprofit organizations, including universities, are exempt from the tax, but so are venues like the XL Center in Hartford and Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, according to the Record-Journal. New Britain Stadium and Dunkin’ Donuts Park were added to the exempt list last year, and Bridgeport, Conn., lawmakers also seek and exemption for Harbor Yard, according to the paper.

A legislative attempt was made last year to eliminate the state tax, giving cities the option to levy their own, but the proposal never made it to a vote. Mushinsky reportedly said she’d support a compromise to end the tax for all all venues, but a projected $1.7 billion state deficit next fiscal year could put a damper on that idea. Connecticut collected $13.7 million from admission taxes in 2015, according to the Record-Journal.

The state collect $13.7 million from the admissions tax in fsiscal year 2015. Senate Republican Leader Len Fasano said he’s “always chad concerns” about the way exemptions have been applied.

“Either you tax them all, or you don’t,” state Republican leader Len Fasano told the paper. However, Rep. Craig Fishbein disagreed, telling the paper the tax was imposed as a condition for the state loan and is different from other state taxes. “At a certain level, that’s the deal they entered into,” he said. “You think they did it with open eyes. You would think that they had counsel representing them.”