The Fishers City Council will be conducting a public hearing on a food & beverage tax at a special meeting Thursday, October 6, 5:00pm.  Both the start time and the location are a bit unusual.

First, the 5:00pm start time is not a common start time for any council session.  However, this public hearing on this tax is the only item on the agenda.

The location is also not a common one.  This hearing will be held at the Fishers Police Department Training Room.  If you wish to attend this meeting, enter at the main entrance to the Police Department, check out the elevator to your right.  There should be a sign directing you to the proper floor.

With City Hall set for the wrecking ball, city meetings are being conducted at various locations, such as the City Services Building and Launch Fishers.

Fishers last considered a food & beverage tax in 2013 when state lawmakers provided a one-year window to enact the levy.  There were limitations on how the money generated by the tax could be used, mostly for economic development.  There was no pending project at that time, so the town council decided to table the tax issue and never brought it back as the deadline expired.

The 1% levy on restaurant meals is being proposed by Mayor Scott Fadness as part of a package to finance a new events center as part of the Fishers District expansion.  The proposed arena could hold as many as 8,500 people, about 6,500 for hockey and basketball games.

Fadness has said he could finance this project, plus a new community center, without an increase in the city’s property tax rate.  He has, however, resurrected the food & beverage tax as part of the events center financing.

The purpose of the hearing is to allow the public time to comment on the tax proposal.  The council will then schedule a vote on the tax.

So far, council members have supported the tax proposal.  Councilor Jocelyn Vare said at the last council session she is not prepared to take a position on the tax until she has more time to study the proposal.