Post by TheShadow on Jul 6, 2009 21:33:30 GMT -5
www.mercurynews.com/
By Chris Metinko
Oakland Tribune
A dispute has arisen between Alameda County and the city of Oakland over parking at the Coliseum.
The county has filed suit against the city for enforcing its 18.5 percent city parking tax on spots on the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum property. The Coliseum property is jointly owned by both the county and city, and governed by a joint-powers authority mainly made up of officials from both sides.
The new enforcement of the tax will have an immediate effect on baseball fans. The A's announced Monday parking fees will go up $2 at the Coliseum starting with the next homestand.
The dispute began when the city sent a letter to the general manager of the Oakland Coliseum Joint Venture last month stating the city's desire to start collecting the tax on spots at the Coliseum, something it has not done despite the ordinance dating to the 1990s.
County officials say the tax should not be imposed on land owned by the county and would cost the county money.
Under current terms of leases with tenants of the Coliseum, those tenants — the Oakland A's and Oakland Raiders — would be able to deduct the amount paid in parking tax from their rent. Rent money Coliseum tenants pay is divided between the city and county, meaning the city would be taking county revenue, according to county officials.
"It's very disappointing," said Richard Winnie, counsel for Alameda County. "This is a partnership."
On June 30, Alice Lai-Bitker, President of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, sent a letter to Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums as well as Council President Jane Brunner (North Oakland) to ask them to rescind the tax at the Coliseum.
"The County of Alameda vehemently objects to this precipitous action," Lai-Bitker writes in the letter.
Kevin Siegel, deputy city attorney in Oakland, says, however, that the city has the right to impose the tax at the Coliseum, since it would not be the county that directly is paying the tax.
On Monday, Mike Crowley, president of the A's, released a statement saying the team will increase parking rates starting July 16.
"It is unfortunate that the City of Oakland has chosen a mandatory 18.5 percent parking tax to help reduce their city finance problems," Crowley's statement read. "In these tough economic times, any increase will have negative impact. In an effort to reduce the impact to our fans, the A's are only passing along a portion of the new tax."
The increase will not affect fans who already have purchased a season parking pass, team officials said.
This isn't the first time this summer city and county officials have seemingly butted heads over the Coliseum. Last month, county officials seemed less than thrilled with an idea proposed by the city to add a 10 percent surcharge to tickets for events at the Coliseum. The Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority board is reviewing that proposal.
By Chris Metinko
Oakland Tribune
A dispute has arisen between Alameda County and the city of Oakland over parking at the Coliseum.
The county has filed suit against the city for enforcing its 18.5 percent city parking tax on spots on the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum property. The Coliseum property is jointly owned by both the county and city, and governed by a joint-powers authority mainly made up of officials from both sides.
The new enforcement of the tax will have an immediate effect on baseball fans. The A's announced Monday parking fees will go up $2 at the Coliseum starting with the next homestand.
The dispute began when the city sent a letter to the general manager of the Oakland Coliseum Joint Venture last month stating the city's desire to start collecting the tax on spots at the Coliseum, something it has not done despite the ordinance dating to the 1990s.
County officials say the tax should not be imposed on land owned by the county and would cost the county money.
Under current terms of leases with tenants of the Coliseum, those tenants — the Oakland A's and Oakland Raiders — would be able to deduct the amount paid in parking tax from their rent. Rent money Coliseum tenants pay is divided between the city and county, meaning the city would be taking county revenue, according to county officials.
"It's very disappointing," said Richard Winnie, counsel for Alameda County. "This is a partnership."
On June 30, Alice Lai-Bitker, President of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, sent a letter to Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums as well as Council President Jane Brunner (North Oakland) to ask them to rescind the tax at the Coliseum.
"The County of Alameda vehemently objects to this precipitous action," Lai-Bitker writes in the letter.
Kevin Siegel, deputy city attorney in Oakland, says, however, that the city has the right to impose the tax at the Coliseum, since it would not be the county that directly is paying the tax.
On Monday, Mike Crowley, president of the A's, released a statement saying the team will increase parking rates starting July 16.
"It is unfortunate that the City of Oakland has chosen a mandatory 18.5 percent parking tax to help reduce their city finance problems," Crowley's statement read. "In these tough economic times, any increase will have negative impact. In an effort to reduce the impact to our fans, the A's are only passing along a portion of the new tax."
The increase will not affect fans who already have purchased a season parking pass, team officials said.
This isn't the first time this summer city and county officials have seemingly butted heads over the Coliseum. Last month, county officials seemed less than thrilled with an idea proposed by the city to add a 10 percent surcharge to tickets for events at the Coliseum. The Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority board is reviewing that proposal.