By ASHLEY FOWLER
WISH-TV | wishtv.com
It now costs a little bit more to eat and drink at restaurants and Fishers.
The city’s 1 percent food and beverage tax, approved by the city council in October, went into effect Thursday.
The extra cash will be used to fund a $170 million event center at Fishers District that would house the Indy Fuel minor league hockey team starting in the fall of 2024.
“When we came up with the concept of this event center, we thought, ‘Here’s an example of an amenity that really does support the local restaurant community,’ and, so, we’re willing to contemplate raising that 1 percent to pay for the event center,” Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness told News 8 in October.
The city government says the tax will be added to customers’ bills at restaurants, including fast-food locations. It does not apply to grocery sales except for food prepared, cooked, and sold at stores.
When calculated, the tax will add $1 to a $100 tab, city leaders said in a handout issued in October. For an average lunch tab of $15, the tax will add 15 cents.
The new tax is in addition to the 1 percent food and beverage tax that is already collected by Hamilton County. With state taxes also added in, the total tax rate on food and drinks in Fishers is now 9 percent.
Once the 170 million is funded – does that additional tax expire ? Or no ?
It never expires. That is why Jocelyn Vare voted against it.