The Osage County Commission voted Nov. 12 to raise the county transient guest tax from 2% to 6%, approving Resolution 2025-27 and directing staff to complete the statutory publication and reporting steps.

Colleen Mendoza, the county’s economic development/tourism director, told commissioners the tax is levied on visitors staying in lodging throughout the county, including short-term rentals such as Airbnb and Vrbo. Mendoza recommended a 6% rate as “competitive with our counties” and said the county would work with the Kansas Department of Revenue to implement the change and to ensure proper remittance and reporting.

Mendoza said the county must publish the ordinance in the local paper for two consecutive weeks and coordinate with the Department of Revenue on state-side set-up. “It is our responsibility to communicate to all of these different people,” Mendoza said, noting staff had begun outreach to lodging operators and planned to request that the Clerk and Treasurer have visibility into reporting.

Commissioners discussed how revenues will be tracked and where they will be deposited; Mendoza said the funds are restricted to tourism promotion activities and that staff would follow up to confirm the fund/account name and bookkeeping details. The county intends to implement the tax with reporting and remittance beginning April 2026 per guidance from the Department of Revenue, although the resolution and local publication schedule must be completed first.

The motion to adopt Resolution 2025-27 (moving the rate from 2% to 6%) passed with the board’s affirmative votes. County staff were instructed to provide three signed copies of the resolution for record-keeping and to finalize notices required for implementation.

Next steps: staff will publish the change as required, coordinate with the Department of Revenue on registration and reporting, and return with any additional administrative details about the county fund where revenue will be held.