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Commissioners adopt ordinance to raise hotel tax late fees
Summary
Warren County adopted Ordinance 1‑2026 to increase late fees charged to delinquent hotel tax payers, adding a $100 upfront fee and a 1.5% penalty on outstanding amounts, officials said. The treasurer said the change brings the county in line with peer counties.
Warren County Commissioners voted March 18 to adopt Ordinance 1‑2026, which raises late‑fee penalties on delinquent hotel/motel tax payments.
Treasurer Lisa Bar explained that the county’s hotel tax revenue is divided between the state and the county and described ongoing collection problems with some large operators. She said the proposed change — modeled on language used by similar counties — adds a $100 upfront late fee and then a 1.5% charge on the unpaid amount. "There was this $100 late fee up front and then one and a half% of what they would owe," she said, describing the draft language the county copied from peer ordinances.
Bar illustrated the local impact by citing an active case where current penalties generate only about $40 in county revenue after collection costs; under the proposed fee structure the county would collect an estimated $390 in that example. Commissioners discussed the adjustment, thanked the treasurer for researching other counties, then moved, seconded and adopted the ordinance by voice vote.
The ordinance was presented as an administrative update to improve collection efficiency; the motion to adopt carried on unanimous voice votes recorded at the meeting.
