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County holds first reading on short‑term rental rules; lodging tax and spending resolution approved for tourism support
Summary
Houston County held a first reading of a short‑term rental ordinance and a companion lodging tax ordinance; the board approved a resolution to levy a 5% lodging tax and earmark funds to the Museum of Aviation and the Agricultural Exposition Authority if the ordinance passes.
Houston County commissioners heard a first reading of a short‑term rental ordinance and a lodging tax ordinance and unanimously approved a resolution establishing how a lodging tax would be spent if the ordinance is adopted.
County Attorney Tom Hall and commissioners described the short‑term rental rules as an attempt to address parking, trash, noise and life‑safety requirements at short‑term rental properties and to require a local contact for complaints. “There is a fee of $150 and ... the most important thing is someone, either the owner or somebody in the managing company that is gonna be responsible if there's a complaint at 3 a.m.,” Hall said.
Hall and the board said the lodging tax is modeled on traditional hotel‑motel taxes but will primarily apply to short‑term rentals in unincorporated Houston County because few hotels exist in the county’s sewer‑limited areas. The ordinance would impose a 5% tax on lodging fees. Commissioners approved a resolution pursuant to OCGA 48‑13‑51(a)(3) to levy and collect the tax in unincorporated Houston County; the motion carried unanimously.
Under the resolution as described at first reading, 3 percentage points of the tax revenue would be used to support the Museum of Aviation and the Agricultural Exposition Authority (the fairgrounds) as visitor‑attracting assets; 2 percentage points would initially go to the county general fund with an eye toward future tourism support. Hall and commissioners emphasized that the resolution sets the spending plan should the lodging tax ordinance be enacted — the resolution does not itself create the tax unless the ordinance follows through public process.
Public comment will be taken at a later public hearing scheduled for the board’s evening meeting in two weeks. Commissioners said the first reading aims to balance property owner interests with neighbor protections and to provide a mechanism to collect and direct tourism revenue to local visitor destinations.
