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Resident urges county to tax short-term rentals to boost tourism revenue
Summary
A resident urged Marquette County to expand lodging-tax rules to capture short-term rentals and campgrounds, citing Bend, Ore., as a model and presenting rough estimates he said would generate several million dollars annually for local amenities.
Jeremy Johnson addressed the board with a proposal to expand lodging taxation to cover short-term rentals and campgrounds, arguing that equal assessment would increase local revenues for public amenities and infrastructure.
Johnson described Bend, Oregon's higher lodging assessment and broke down numbers he said show Marquette Countycurrently sees substantial tourist spending. "By my account, if we were to tax all lodging equally and raise our rate... we would stand to add $3,500,000 per year to the county budget," he told commissioners, noting limitations in state estimates and local audit figures. He urged the commission to explore statutory and administrative options to broaden the tax base so visitor dollars fund local infrastructure and amenities.
Commissioners thanked Johnson for the information and asked staff to review statutory authority and potential fiscal impacts; no county action or ordinance change was taken that night.
