Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn on Friday signed off on a bill prohibiting Brookfield from imposing an amusement tax on admissions to the Brookfield Zoo, capping an issue that’s been simmering locally since last summer.
The Brookfield village board in December unanimously passed an ordinance imposing a 25-cent tax per paid admission to any amusement in Brookfield. While the law also includes bowling alleys, musical performances and sporting events, the lion’s share of revenue generated by such a tax would have come from Brookfield Zoo, two-thirds of which is located within the boundaries of Brookfield.
Such a tax was contemplated last summer but tabled while the village and zoo attempted to negotiate another deal that would have brought additional revenue to the village.
In November, the Chicago Zoological Society, which operates Brookfield Zoo, blind-sided the village by lobbying state legislators to craft a law preventing the village from imposing such a tax. The state Senate passed the bill that month. In January, the House concurred.
Brookfield officials estimated the tax would bring in between $360,000 and $500,000 for the village. The zoo said the tax would directly affect its bottom line and would force layoffs and exhibit closures.
On the same day that the board passed the ordinance, the zoo announced it was laying off 11 employees and closing two exhibit yards, among other cost reductions. Those cuts, however, were unrelated to the village’s action.
Brookfield Village Manager Riccardo Ginex rejected the notion that the tax would have damaged the zoo’s bottom line, saying it would be passed along to consumers without touching zoo revenues.
“It was not going to take $500,000 out of the zoo’s coffers,” Ginex said. “It was a pass-through. It was never going to hurt them. The zoo did a disservice to the village by putting out there like that.”
Ginex said the village sent Quinn’s staff information regarding record attendance for the zoo in 2010 and a list of more than 30 jobs posted on the zoo’s website.
“We found that odd, being that they’re hurting,” Ginex said. “We tried to give the governor and staff as much information as possible not to sign the bill. Obviously that didn’t happen.”
Stuart Strahl, president and CEO of the Chicago Zoological Society, said many of the positions posted on the website were due to staff turnover, not newly created positions.
The amusement tax, while apparently off limits on zoo property, is very much in effect for Brookfield’s other small businesses. Whether the tax will remain in place is unclear. Trustees could move to repeal it.
“I have not talked to [Village President] Mike [Garvey] yet,” said Ginex. “The board may want to have a discussion about it next Monday night.”
The village board is scheduled to meet at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 14 at village hall.