The City of Shelbyville continues to push for the institution of a food and beverage tax.

On Monday at the Common Council meeting at City Hall, the council approved a resolution supporting the passage of a bill by the Indiana General Assembly that would allow the city to enact a food and beverage tax.

The city must have state approval to create the tax that Shelbyville mayor Tom DeBaun would like to use to support the Shelbyville Parks and Recreation Department.

“We’ve talked openly about (the tax) going into its own standalone fund to serve as debt service for the parks department or programming for the parks department,” explained DeBaun when questioned by councilwoman Joanne Bowen about how the tax would be utilized.

The city is currently working on the creation of an indoor sports facility at Blue River Memorial Park which would draw more people to the city. In addition, the city’s downtown redevelopment project has created space for larger events around the Public Square.

Tourism is responsible for bringing approximately $26 million into the local economy over the last two years – and that figure should rise with the creation of the indoor sports complex at an already busy Blue River Memorial Park that hosts softball, baseball, soccer and cross country events as well as concerts and other activities.

Councilman Scott Furgeson, a former mayor of Shelbyville, stated there was a time when he was mayor that all the donut counties around Marion County were offered the opportunity to create a food and beverage tax. He did not accept the offer then.

Several municipalities around Marion County currently have food and beverage taxes, including Greenwood according to DeBaun.

Shelby County does have a food and beverage tax that is used to pay for sheriff retirements. The county received just over $700,000 last year from the tax.

The resolution approved Monday does not establish a food and beverage tax. It only establishes that the City of Shelbyville supports the legislature enabling us to adopt it, according to DeBaun.

If the legislature approves it, the city would still have to go through the adoption process. The earliest it could start assessing a food and beverage tax would be in 2024.

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