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Downtown restaurateurs and bakery owners urge council: produce detailed accounting before adding tax
Summary
Several downtown business owners told council they collected a more-than-550-signature petition and asked for a full accounting of how existing hospitality-tax revenue has been spent and what new money would fund before any tax increase.
Small-business owners and restaurateurs said July 27 they fear a hospitality-tax increase would fall disproportionately on low-margin businesses and seniors. Clarissa Cool, owner of O'Mia Steli Bakery, said she has collected over 550 petition signatures opposing the increase "at this time" and asked council for a transparent accounting of current hospitality-tax receipts and remaining balances.
"If it's a parking deck you want, tell us, and we'll find the right way to pay for it, but don't try to sell us parks and rec projects that we may never see," Cool said. Multiple owners asked council to publish a project-by-project budget, schedules and measurable outcomes before voting on a permanent tax change.
Council staff and members acknowledged the request for detail; staff said a budget breakout similar to the recently passed budget would be provided at a future meeting and that public comments submitted after packet publication would be entered into the minutes.
