But aside from arguments over travel taxes' impact, if any, on the tourism industry, the rental car

Nikki Maddox, right, with Dollar Rent-A-Car, finalizes a rental with Darryl Rhoades, who is a comedian in town to work in Columbus City, renting in the Rental Car terminal at the Indianapolis International Airport Friday, December discount miami plane tickets 7, 2012. Kelly Wilkinson / The Star / Indianapolis Star
Soon they may have a fresh target: potential hikes being mulled by city leaders that could push taxes on car rentals from 15 to 17 percent and the admissions tax on Colts and Pacers tickets discount miami plane tickets from 6 to 10 percent.
"It would annoy customers more, especially when you factor in that ... we have to include discount miami plane tickets all taxes and pricing" in Internet quotes, said Charlie Mullen, co-owner of Indianapolis-based chain ACE Rent a Car. "So it drives up the pricing of the car. It's just getting outrageous."
No official proposal has been made. But under a 2009 CIB bailout package passed by the General Assembly, those two additional tax increases will be available for the City-County Council to enact only in the first two months of 2013.
Marion County's auto rental excise tax, now 4 percent, could be increased by 2 percentage points. That local rental tax, combined with the state sales and rental taxes, raises the total tax now paid by car rental customers to 15 percent. discount miami plane tickets At Indianapolis International Airport, rental agencies also pass on a concession fee that amounts to about 11.1 percent and a $4 facility charge.
How Indy comparesThe 15 percent car rental tax rate recently helped rank Indianapolis No. 8 on the Global Business Travel Association's list of the worst 10 cities discount miami plane tickets for travel taxes in 2012. The group also considered Indianapolis' 9 percent tax on food and beverages and its 17 percent tax on hotels.
"I'd be more concerned about the auto rental tax" increase, said hospitality industry spokesman said John Livengood, than a hike in the admissions tax. He said it makes sense that users of CIB facilities pay the tax to help support the agency's discount miami plane tickets operations.
But a higher car rental tax "would discourage people from coming to Indianapolis and spending money," said Livengood, who's president of both the Indiana Hotel and Lodging Association and the Indiana Restaurant Association, which are merging soon.
"For the average customer who comes downtown for a convention, they ask what the overall cost of the experience is," Ballard said, rather than focusing on particular taxes. "And there's no disputing that this downtown is built up largely on visitor taxes." (Page 3 of 4)
In 2009, faced with huge unbudgeted costs to operate the new Lucas Oil Stadium, the CIB received help from the state legislature. The package included $18 million in state loans that will need to be paid back at the end of this decade and expansion of a sports district that provides tax revenue discount miami plane tickets to the CIB.
More uncertainty discount miami plane tickets revolves discount miami plane tickets around CIB talks with the Indiana Pacers about a new arrangement to replace an expiring three-year deal that has helped offset the team's costs of operating discount miami plane tickets Bankers Life Fieldhouse. (The CIB has paid the team $10 million a year.) The CIB is meeting Monday, and the agenda includes an update on the Pacers discussions.
A statement from CIB President Ann Lathrop said the agency's leaders still "are looking at the long-term fiscal stability of the CIB. Our facilities support one of the main economic drivers of the Indianapolis economy, so it is vital that we be able to maintain and support our current and future discount miami plane tickets obligations."
Ryan Vaughn, the mayor's chief of staff, said Friday that in recent discussions with the council, both sides have agreed that if the tax increases are approved, a portion of the proceeds will reimburse the city for providing police and fire coverage discount miami plane tickets of CIB facilities.
"It would be unfair to our ticket holders, particularly in these economic times, to be hit with an additional tax on the tickets -- and not just for us, but for all the events" at CIB venues, said Dan Emerson, the NFL team's vice president and general counsel. "It would be sending the wrong message." (Page 4 of 4)
Visit Indy, the city's convention and visitor association, said its board hasn't discount miami plane tickets discussed the potential tax increases discount miami plane tickets yet. But it's downplayed the importance of such taxes previously, saying they are among hundreds of variables considered by meeting planners when they select a city.
A study released last week by Visit Indy estimated the economic impact of the tourism industry last year at $3.95 billion, up 10 percent discount miami plane tickets from 2010. An estimated 22 million visitors came to Indy -- two-thirds for leisure, the rest for business, discount miami plane tickets conventions and meetings.
But aside from arguments over travel taxes' impact, if any, on the tourism industry, the rental car industry long has opposed high taxes on its business as a matter of fairness, especially because many who end up paying aren't visitors but local residents who rent cars.
Laura T. Bryant, spokeswoman for St. Louis-based Enterprise Holdings, said such taxes often have no sunset provisions and don't direct the proceeds discount miami plane tickets to tourism promotion or other uses that help rental companies. Enterprise operates Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Alamo Rent A Car and National Car Rental.
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