Sunday, July 29, 2001
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Sunday, July 29, 2001 |
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Motel tax increase discussed
By MONROE ROARK The Fayetteville City Council is considering a 2-percent increase in the motel tax to further fund tourism in the city. The proposed increase, from 3 percent to 5 percent, would make the tax equal to that of Peachtree City, and still be one of the lowest in the metro Atlanta area, according to council discussions at Wednesday night's work session. An ordinance has been drafted to make the change official, and a first reading is scheduled for Thursday night's regular council meeting. The ordinance states that the tax "will be used for the purpose of promoting tourism, conventions and trade shows in the Main Street District," and that "the amount expended shall be only through a contract with a state agency or authority, or a private sector nonprofit organization." In this case, that organization would likely be Fayetteville's Main Street program. One of the projects that could benefit from the revenue increase would be a proposed city amphitheater, which has been suggested for the Village multi-use development now in the early stages of construction on the west side of town. An overview of the amphitheater proposal is to be discussed at Thursday's meeting. There is currently just one motel in the city the Holiday Inn Express on East Lanier Avenue, across from the old county courthouse. The developers of the Village have designated a spot for a possible hotel, but there have been no specifics beyond that, according to City Manager Joe Morton. In noting that Fayetteville's motel tax would still be relatively low even after the proposed increase, Mayor Kenneth Steele remarked that on his trip to Charleston, S.C., last weekend, he checked his bill and noticed that the room tax there was 13 percent.
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