BY LAURA GOLDBERG
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Cincinnati City Manager John Shirey on Wednesday recommended a ''stadium use charge'' on Reds and Bengals tickets to help fulfill a pledge for money to fix public school buildings.

As part of a city-county deal concerning the new stadiums, council agreed to provide Cincinnati Public Schools $5 million a year for 20 years to fix buildings.

Mr. Shirey, in a report, recommended a two-part plan:

Stadium use charge: He assumes $4.5 million per year based on an average charge of $1.80 per attendee. Hamilton County would have to negotiate the charge as part of Bengals and Reds leases.

It would be a per-admission charge for attending events in new stadiums and Cinergy Field. He said the charge could be graduated based on ticket price.

The city previously had an agreement with the Reds and Bengals for a 25-cent use charge that netted about $675,000 a year.

Require visiting entertainers and sports professionals to pay the city's earnings income tax when playing or performing in the city. He assumes that would bring in $500,000 a year.

If, Mr. Shirey said, the stadium use charge is not feasible, he suggests raising the city's admissions tax. Raising $4.5 million a year would require hiking the current 3 percent tax to 8.85 percent. The tax applies to the portion of an admission greater than $1.05. It is imposed on for-profit sports and entertainment events.

Council did not discuss the report Wednesday. Council's finance committee is likely to take up the issue later this month.

In other action Wednesday:

Council members heard from almost 30 speakers protesting the Feb. 23 shooting of Lorenzo Collins by a Cincinnati police officer and a University of Cincinnati officer. He died Friday.

Mayor Roxanne Qualls introduced a resolution calling for all council candidates to voluntarily cap campaign spending. The resolution would take effect only if all nine council members approve it. A vote is expected next week.

Council delayed for a week a vote on supporting tougher air standards proposed by the Clinton administration.