Public Hearing Thursday on 23% Lodging Tax Increase
CAPE CHARLES WAVE
April 24, 2014
Cape Charles Town Council will hold a public hearing tonight on increasing the town lodging tax by 23 percent. Council then intends to pass the tax increase at its regular meeting immediately following the public hearing.
The public hearing is 6 p.m. Thursday, April 24, at St. Charles Parish Hall, followed by the regular Town Council meeting.
Town staff has rewritten Town Code to remove references to the annexation agreement between the Town and Northampton County and all related State statutes. Under the annexation agreement the town allowed the county to charge a 2 percent lodging tax.
Council members Steve Bennett and Frank Wendell oppose the tax increase, while all other members are in favor.
CLICK to read the proposed lodging tax ordinance.
Here’s a novel idea: rather than increase the current town tax rate, track down, enforce and collect the current tax assessment due from the dozens and dozens of owners who are renting their homes out and are NOT registered with the town or state.
While changing the Town’s lodging tax from 3 cents per dollar to 3.7 cents per dollar is a 23 percent increase, it seems a strange way to report the facts of this story. Someone visiting our Town under the old tax schedule would pay a total of 10.3 cents per dollar with the largest portion of this money going to the State. Under the new plan, a visitor would pay 11 cents per dollar. This would be a 7 percent increase overall.
CLICK for previous reporting on tax rates for the town, county, and state. If it “seems strange” to report the proposed percentage increase in the town lodging tax, does it also seem strange to report the percentage increase in town real estate taxes, instead of lumping the town tax together with the county tax and only reporting the combined percentage? The Wave’s reporting focus is on Town Hall. –EDITOR
Just wondering — how do you KNOW council intends to pass this subsequent to the Public Hearing?
The story states: “Council then intends to pass the tax increase at its regular meeting immediately following the public hearing.” Council’s intention is indeed known — CLICK for the agenda.