New organizations requesting funding Tuesday were:
- Parkersburg Art Center
- Wood County Historical Society
- Blennerhassett Historical Foundation
- Parkersburg Actors Guild
- Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport Authority
- Veterans' Museum
- Williamstown pool
- West Virginia Automobile Museum
- Juliana-Ann Street Historical District.
Couch said all of the funding requests are worthy causes. He said he estimated that organizations requested 108 percent of the hotel tax proceeds during Tuesday's meeting.
Vienna City Council backs hotel tax hike
Councilman Roger Bibbee said it is important to note that the average Vienna resident won’t be affected by the increased tax.
“A lot of people are concerned and didn’t realize that this is not being imposed on residents, only the users of the facilities,” Bibbee said.
Nohe said he is hopeful city council will approve the increase.
"People in the hotel business in the city have actually asked us to pass it," Nohe said. "In Vienna, we’re not big on increasing taxes, but this seems like pretty smooth sailing since they’ve asked us to."
My Thoughts:
This thing is starting to look like a County form of the outlawed West Virginia Budget Digest.
The idea that this "user fee" is being imposed on a non-resident, and therefore not a local voter makes it OK is the same philosophy that the gambling industry is using to justify their cause. Tourists are fair game to local governments, but these are the kinds of little things that continue to keep West Virginia at the bottom.
I know this is a radical thought, especially anywhere in West Virginia, but let's suppose that the natural laws of competition were in place in this situation, which make no mistake, they are not. If a Community in Wood County were allowed to reject this tax without sinking the big plans of all of those who expect to receive this loot, they would be at a competitive advantage over the surrounding hotels and would probably fill more rooms. At the end of the year, that hotel would see an increase in business, revenue, and jobs and that Community could actually see an increase in total revenue from the lower tax rate. Those additional occupants would more than likely spend their money close to that renegade facility thereby leaving more of their money in that community, which is what tourists are suppose to do I'm told.
I wish I could take credit for this concept that is proven to work, but of course I can't. New ideas take awhile to make it here, they always have, and old habits are hard to break.
Word is out the the County Commission is coming into a little more CASH, actually a lot of CASH, approximately $200,000 + expected from the user fee increase that was passed just a week ago, doubling it from 3% to 6%. User fee is a creative way of referring to a tax increase. Last year the taxes collected from this dropped $14,376 from the previous year, despite the increasing number of motel /hotel rooms in the county.
First of many groups and worthwhile organizations that will attempt to tap this CASH. I am a bit surprised that some folks are in line so quick for this new money, (actually before it is even official) almost makes one wonder if they knew it was going to be available.
"We are asking for some of the county’s hotel/motel tax to keep the doors open and the lights on."
"Because the funds go toward attracting more people to Wood County, I will make a motion we raise the hotel/motel tax to 6 percent, contingent on all municipalities within the county raising theirs."
Commissioner David Blair Couch
"This (the hotel tax) is a user fee paid by visitors."
Commissioner Rick Modesitt
Here is how this money is currently distributed:
- Greater Parkersburg Convention and Visitors Bureau 53%
- Artsbridge 4%
- Belleville Homecoming 0.5%
- Oil and Gas Museum 1.5%
- Parkersburg News and Sentinel Half Marathon 2%
- Parkersburg Homecoming 2%
- Smoot Theatre 4.5%
- Mountwood Park 18%
- West Virginia Interstate Fair & Exposition 9%
- Veterans/Fort Boreman Park 5%
- Mid-Ohio Valley Multi-Cultural Festival 0.5%
Average Tax Rate
- Total Tax on a Hotel Room (incl. hotel room tax, sales taxes, etc.): 12.2%
Average Hotel Room Tax: 6.7%
Average Sales Tax on a Hotel Room: 5.5% - Total Tax on a Car Rental: (incl. rental tax, sales tax, etc.): 11.7%
- Special Restaurant Tax (excl. sales tax): 2.7%
How the Hotel Room Tax is Used
- On average, 55% of the hotel room tax monies collected is allocated to the CVB.
- Slightly more than one-third of destinations use hotel room tax monies for convention center purposes (operations, construction, debt service).
- 11% of destinations allocate hotel room tax revenue to arenas and sport facilities.
source: Destination Marketing Association International
Here is a link to remind folks what other Republicans had to say about Senator Bob Dole and his history of tax increases.
Bob Dole likes to Raise Taxes
A Collection of GOP Remarks on Dole's Record of Increasing Taxes
