While Cleveland’s small music club owners are cheering City Council’s admissions tax reduction, the decision does not excuse back taxes. In recent years, the Beachland Ballroom has accumulated about $400,000 in unpaid taxes, interest and penalties. The Beachland and the club Peabody’s owe the most. But Beachland Ballroom co-owner Cindy Barber is hopeful she can work out a deal with the city.

“There is some conversation about kind of cutting us…somewhat of a break,” she says. “They’re already agreed to cut out the penalties, but there’s another $40,000 or more in interest, and there’s talk of them now cutting it down to a reasonable amount of money possibly that Peabody’s and I could each handle so that we don’t have that handing over our heads.”