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Cayuga County legislators discuss updating short-term rental wording; no new tax proposed
Summary
Treasurer Dave Dempsey and legislators debated amending county occupancy-tax language to mirror state law for short-term rentals (under 30 days). Officials said the change clarifies existing practice and does not create a new tax; a separate opt-in/opt-out decision tied to the state's registry remains distinct and faces a December 28 deadline.
Cayuga County Treasurer Dave Dempsey told the legislature that he will seek amended local language to classify short-term rentals (STRs) consistent with state law, saying the change would clarify existing practice rather than impose any new levy.
Dempsey said the county has collected an occupancy tax since 1994 and that the draft change would “clear up the language” to reflect that short-term rentals are stays of less than 30 days. “This is not a new tax. There is no new tax,” he told colleagues during a Ways & Means discussion on the county’s proposed amendment.
Why it matters: County officials and residents have expressed confusion about which short-term rental transactions are subject to occupancy tax and how online…
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