Council adopts home-rule request to extend hotel and motel occupancy tax authorization

The Beacon City Council on Monday authorized a home‑rule request asking the state legislature to extend the city’s authorization to impose a hotel and motel occupancy tax. A staff legal briefing said the city’s current authorization expires in August and that both houses have introduced legislation to extend the authorization for another three years.

“So tonight, the council will be voting on to ask the state legislature to adopt a home‑rule request,” the city attorney stated during the presentation. The briefing noted the tax is codified under the city code (chapter 199), the city’s current local rate is 2%, and any change to the council’s authorized percentage would still require a separate local‑law process.

The council moved and seconded the measure and adopted the home‑rule request by voice vote; the transcript records no roll‑call tally. If the council’s request is accepted and legislation passes the state legislature, the governor would sign it and the city’s authorization would be extended through the date specified by that state action.

City staff also told council members they can revisit the policy and the permitted percentage through the city’s standard local‑law process at any time. Questions from council members included whether the administration could provide recent revenue figures from the tax; staff agreed to supply that data for future budget discussions.

What happens next: if the council’s action is forwarded, the city clerk will send copies of the home‑rule request to both legislative houses and await state action. The measure takes legal effect only after state approval and the governor’s signature.