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Denham Springs council accepts hotel-occupancy tax results, moves to adopt ordinance setting 6.75% levy
Summary
The Denham Springs City Council accepted election returns for a hotel-occupancy tax and voted to introduce an ordinance authorizing a levy of up to 6.75% effective April 1, 2025; the ballot proposition was reported as passing 2,736–1,163 and proceeds were described as split between police and fire payrolls.
The Denham Springs City Council unanimously adopted a resolution accepting the certified returns for a hotel-occupancy tax proposition and introduced an ordinance to levy the tax, Mayor Todd Landry said at the Jan. 14 meeting.
Jim Ryan, who presented the election results to the council, said, “The votes for the proposition were 2,736, and the votes against the proposition were 1,163.” The resolution before the council formally accepted those returns as provided by the secretary of state.
The council then moved to introduce an ordinance to levy a hotel-occupancy tax of up to 6.75% on the rent or fee charged for occupancy of hotel rooms within city limits, with an effective date of April 1, 2025. The ordinance summary read that estimated annual collections from the tax would be approximately $503,410.70 and that, after administrative costs, 50% of proceeds would fund salaries and benefits for fire-department employees and 50% would fund salaries and benefits for police-department employees. Mayor Todd Landry clarified that “this only affects the revenue from the tax. It has no impact on how you budget.”
Council members asked whether the fixed 50/50 split could create problems if departmental needs diverge. One council member noted hypothetically that police demands could grow faster than fire demands; Ryan and council discussion said departments continue to receive other general-fund support and the tax proceeds add to, rather than replace, existing budget lines.
The ordinance was introduced for adoption at a public meeting scheduled for Jan. 27, 2025, at 6 p.m. in the municipal courtroom. The council voted to advance the ordinance and the resolution accepting the election returns in separate motions; the clerk’s roll calls recorded affirmative votes by council members present.
The ordinance gives the city authority to levy the tax up to the stated cap; the exact final rate and administrative implementation steps will be set if the council adopts the ordinance at the Jan. 27 meeting and after coordination with the parish/school tax office to begin collection.
The council did not vote on a final allocation formula beyond the 50/50 split stated in the ballot summary; council discussion noted the city’s ability to continue to budget other funds to adjust overall departmental support.
