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Supervisors direct staff to draft plan for raising lodging tax; options include dedicated tourism spending and higher rates
Summary
The board discussed raising the transient occupancy (lodging) tax, heard staff estimates of current and projected revenue, and asked staff to return with a program‑level plan showing how tourism‑directed revenue could fund capital and programming; supervisors were open to up to 5% (tourism‑earmarked) and asked staff to analyze higher levels.
The Board of Supervisors discussed options to adjust the county’s transient occupancy tax (lodging tax) and directed staff to develop a programmatic plan and revenue scenarios for the board’s review.
Staff said the county currently budgets roughly $400,000 in lodging‑tax revenue for fiscal year 2026, up from just over $250,000 in FY 2024 as new rooms have come online. Presenters summarized state code provisions: an initial band of levies (described in the staff presentation as 0–2 percent) can be used at the county’s discretion, additional increments (3, 4 and 5 percent) must be directed to tourism‑related purposes, and amounts above 5 percent revert to general discretionary revenue. Staff and supervisors noted that the county would need to consult hotel…
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