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Mayor Kim Hopkins outlines short-term rental tracking push and bed-tax allocations
Summary
Mayor Kim Hopkins told the Economic Development Commission the borough has bought software to identify unregistered short-term rentals and will propose an ordinance to require registration; she also reviewed bed-tax law and budget allocations, including 65% code allocation to destination marketing and Explore Fairbanks funding increases.
Mayor Kim Hopkins said the borough is moving to tighten oversight of short-term rentals after purchasing software to identify operators and collect unpaid taxes. "We picked that up and purchased it," Hopkins said of the tracking tool, referring to an assembly-appropriated ordinance for about $40,000 to fund the procurement. She said borough licenses for the software were provided to the city at no cost so both jurisdictions can pursue compliance.
Why it matters: Short-term rentals can generate lodging-tax revenue that funds tourism promotion and local programs; officials told the commission many operators are not registered, limiting collections. "It's 60 to 70% of operators here are not registered," Hopkins said, adding that the software helped identify back taxes but she could not recall an exact tally: "it's only been about 30... Wait, no, 9. I think it was 9 or 30, and I can't remember." The mayor said the borough will bring an ordinance to the assembly in the coming months to require registration and clarify collection.
The commission also discussed how bed-tax revenue is structured. Hopkins said a 1990s voter initiative caps the borough's bed tax at 8 percent and that, by borough code, 65 percent of that revenue is dedicated to destination marketing. "It's at 65% for destination marketing," she said, and noted the assembly increased funding for Explore Fairbanks to $2,330,000 this year from the $2,000,000 she had proposed within an estimated $4.2–$4.3 million in total bed-tax receipts.
Commissioners asked how the borough and city coordinate enforcement. Hopkins said the RFP the borough issued included unlimited licenses and the city is using those licenses now. She emphasized the borough currently lacks a business-license requirement for short-term rental operators and that registration has been largely voluntary; the proposed ordinance is intended to change that.
Next steps: Hopkins said the administration plans to bring a registration ordinance to the assembly for consideration in coming months and to report back to the commission. The commission's next meeting is scheduled for July 28, 2026.
