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Vermont Lodging Association urges caution on new taxes and fees, cites rising costs and workforce housing squeeze
Summary
Representatives of the Vermont Lodging Association told the House Ways & Means Committee that rising property taxes, utilities, payroll and regulatory costs threaten lodging operators and the wider visitor economy; they urged lawmakers to consider the sector’s economic contributions and the ripple effects of new fees.
Representatives of the Vermont Lodging Association told the House Ways & Means Committee on Feb. 5 that rising taxes, fees and operating costs are squeezing small lodging operators and could harm the statewide visitor economy.
Brian Macchiato of the Inn of Manchester (co‑founder of the Vermont Lodging Association) and Kim Donahue, owner of the Inn at the Round Barn Farm in Waitsfield and chair of the association, described how property-tax increases, higher utility bills and rising payroll costs are affecting operators across Vermont’s rural communities.
Donahue said the lodging sector supports a broad supply chain of local businesses and is a major local employer. “There is no part of our industry that is not…
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