Some nightlife venue operators in Ballard feel the mayor's new incentives won't do enough to help clubs and bars.

At a press conference last month, Mayor Greg Nickels announced a proposed tax exemption for live music venues as part of an incentives package to encourage the city's music scene.

The exemption would be on the admissions tax venues pay to the city and would affect venues that have a capacity less than 1,000 people, host live music an average of three times per week and hire an average of 16 musicians per week. The tax is currently 5 percent per each dollar of admissions sales.

James Keblas, director of the Mayor's Office of Film and Music, said the stipulations for the exemption are achievable for bars and clubs, but are also something that will challenge them to offer even more live music.

Dan Cowan, owner of the Tractor Tavern on Ballard Avenue, said he welcomes the proposal, but that it doesn't do much to help venues, short of cutting down the amount of paperwork they have to do to file the tax to the city.

Under the Tractor's business model the money earned from admissions goes to the musicians. Cowan said the money the venue saves from the tax exemption will therefore go straight to the musicians, not to the venue.

Many other bars and clubs operate on a similar model, and Cowan said he is definitely not opposed to musicians earning more money per show, but he would rather see the city focus on some of the more pressing problems affecting venues such as an ambiguous noise ordinance.

Keblas said the money could go to either venues or musicians depending on the venue's business model and will encourage live music regardless.

"What I'm excited about is it can help either one," he said.

Ben Sweeney, general manager of Egan's Jam House on Market Street, said he feels the proposal is disingenuous because the mayor spent the last few years going to battle with music venues and is now simply going after good sound bites.

The mayor has tried to get clubs closed with new proposals and used a noise ordinance many feel is unfair to make music venues quiet enough not to disturb neighbors, which is an impossible task, Sweeney said.

"It doesn't sit well with me," he said.

The mayor's incentives also include a venue assistance program housed in the Office of Film and Music that will give venue owners technical assistance and an easy access point to the city.

During his press conference the mayor said he believes in the importance of live music to the city, and Keblas said further incentives for nightlife are on the horizon.

A 2004 economic impact study of Seattle's music industry showed that it contributed more than $1.3 billion in annual revenues to the city.

Michael Harthorne can be reached at 783-1244 or michaelh@robinsonnews.com.