BY GEOFF HOBSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Cincinnati City Manager John Shirey told council members Friday that a 5 percent admissions tax will be insufficient to meet the city's promised $5 million payment to Cincinnati Public Schools.

In a memorandum to council members, Mr. Shirey said a 5.5 percent, or perhaps 6 percent, admissions tax on entertainment events would be needed to meet the annual commitment to city schools - a commitment made as part of a city-county deal to pave the way for a sales tax increase to pay for new Reds and Bengals stadiums.

Word of the report, as negotiations are intensifying to complete a lease for the Bengals' new stadium, surprised officials of the football team.

"It's disturbing that the city is having this kind of impact in negotiations between the club and the county," said Troy Blackburn, the Bengals' director of stadium development. "We've been trying to talk to the city, and we're not even aware of this adjustment. This is something we just have to work through and get beyond."

"We're still searching for a way to help the schools other than with the tax," said Councilman Phil Heimlich. "But if we can't, this is what we fall back on and I think council will go for this adjustment. There's no way we want to dip into the general fund and affect basic services."

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