Think outside the box…

Omahans concerned with a proposed entertainment tax can rest easy—their city leaders have killed the idea.

Bryan popped down to the Omaha City Council meeting yesterday and confirmed that the city council voted down Mayor Jim Suttle’s proposed 2 percent entertainment tax with a 6-1 vote.

He also confirmed Councilman Ben Gray was the only council member who supported the tax, and urged the city to find additional sources of revenue.

Now folks in the metro-area won’t have to pay any additional cash to see G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, a Creighton basketball game or even a dinner at Spaghetti Works.

But that means the city still faces a budget crisis.

Councilman Ben Gray is right: Omaha must find a new revenue source. Omaha should look at how other cities grab extra cash.

The National League of Cities released a “city practice brief” earlier this year that listed several “creative examples of alternative sources of revenue.”

For instance Newport Beach, California—with a population of over 70,000—set in place a program where citizens can pay bills online.

The Newport Beach Identification System (NBID) allows residents to access their account in one location, and make payments on line. Citizens can simultaneously access information about parking citations, business licenses, municipal services, and alarm fees by using one ID number. Once in the account, individuals may check boxes to choose which bills to pay, and the money is distributed to the proper accounts. In addition to the online service, all customer account records and service cancellations can be processes over the phone. Because customer accounts are interconnected, the city can monitor payments and withhold services until a balance is paid. The NBID caused a significant increase in the city's revenue, with the recovery of over $625,000 in outstanding receivables and over $500,000 in other fees.

Mayor Suttle will be successful in getting the city out of debt with a revenue-generating program that provides a service to the citizen, rather than giving the citizen a burden.