Pomona : Fairgrounds Tax Rescinded

After protests from more than 200 employees, concessionaires and promoters of events at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds, the City Council this week rescinded a 10% admissions tax enacted a week ago.

The council, by a 4-1 vote Monday, repealed the tax and instructed City Administrator Julio Fuentes to work with Ralph Hinds, president of the Los Angeles County Fair Assn., to seek other sources of revenue.

Hinds said the tax, which would have applied to admissions and charges for exhibit space at all events at the fairgrounds except for the county fair and off-track betting, would have had a devastating effect on fairground operations, and could have cost hundreds of jobs. He said promoters of trade shows and other events would have sought other locations rather than pay the tax.

Councilman C. L. (Clay) Bryant, who proposed the tax a week ago without consulting fair officials, complained that the city gets little revenue but lots of traffic jams and other problems from events at the fairgrounds, now known as Fairplex, the Los Angeles County Fair and Exposition Complex. “There is no reason except greed for Fairplex to oppose this tax,” said Bryant, who cast the only dissenting vote on the repeal measure.

Council members Nell Soto and Tomas Ursua, who had voted for the tax a week ago, said they reversed their votes when they learned that fair officials objected. Soto said the city desperately needs more revenue, but said the city staff should work with fair officials to find another approach.