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Oneonta council requests state authorization to allow hotel/motel occupancy tax of up to 6%
Summary
The Oneonta Common Council unanimously voted to request New York State legislation that would permit the city to impose a hotel or motel occupancy tax up to 6% with revenue to be deposited in the city's general fund.
The Oneonta Common Council voted to approve a resolution asking the New York State Legislature to enact enabling legislation authorizing the City of Oneonta to impose a hotel or motel occupancy tax at a rate not to exceed 6% of the per-diem room rental rate.
The resolution directs that revenue from the tax, if authorized and adopted locally, be deposited in the city’s general fund to support municipal services, infrastructure and other essential expenditures as determined by the council. The resolution also directs the city clerk to forward copies to the governor, the New York State Assembly speaker, the temporary president of the State Senate and the city’s state legislative delegation requesting their support and sponsorship of enabling legislation.
Council members discussed the resolution as a preliminary, non-binding step to signal municipal support to the city’s state legislators. A councilor explained that a local legislator requested confirmation of council support before sponsoring a bill and that if the council approves the resolution the senator’s office and assembly member would draft legislation for introduction. Multiple council members noted that any specific local tax rate would come back to the council for a later vote if the state grants authorization.
The motion passed on a roll-call vote: Council member Mosher Kempely, Walsh Russo, McHugh, LaPari Hsu, Carson, Harrington, Forrester Rothgard and MacKesson voted yes; no dissent was recorded in the meeting transcript.
