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Proposal to add 1% rooms tax draws questions about STR oversight
Summary
Article 5 asks voters to add a 1% Local Option Tax (LOT) on rooms to supplement capital spending; residents asked about STR inspections, and town officials said compliance relies on web scraping rather than physical inspections.
Article 5 would add a 1% Local Option Tax on rooms to West Windsor's existing 9% state rooms tax, with 75% of LOT receipts staying with the town and 25% retained by the state under PILOT arrangements.
Gregg Despart asked about a rumor of property inspections related to STR enforcement; Mark Higgins denied that rumor and explained, "the Town of West Windsor does have a Short‑Term Rental Ordinance that requires STR owners to register their rentals annually...the Town relies on web scraping software to track STRs and no physical inspection is conducted by Town personnel." Carolyn Sailer, who runs a catering and B&B business, noted Canadian tourism declined about 30% in 2025 and expressed concern about additional charges to customers.
