El Centro, California, Hotel Tax, Measure Q (November 2016)
| Measure Q: El Centro Hotel Tax |
|---|
|
| The basics |
| Election date: |
| November 8, 2016 |
| Status: |
 Defeated
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| Topic: |
| Local hotel tax Expires in: 10 years |
| Related articles |
| Local hotel tax on the ballot November 8, 2016 ballot measures in California Imperial County, California ballot measures City tax on the ballot |
| See also |
| El Centro, California |
A hotel tax measure was on the ballot for El Centro voters in Imperial County, California, on November 8, 2016. It was defeated.
| A yes vote was a vote in favor of increasing the hotel tax from 10 percent to 13 percent to fund general city services. |
| A no vote was a vote against increasing the hotel tax from 10 percent to 13 percent to fund general city services. |
Election results
| Measure Q | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| No | 6,817 | 57.56% | ||
| Yes | 5,027 | 42.44% | ||
- Election results from Imperial Registrar of Voters
Text of measure
Ballot question
The following question appeared on the ballot:[1]
| “ |
Shall Ordinance No. 16-06 be adopted increasing the existing Uniform Transient Occupancy Tax from 10% to 13% on April 1, 2017 (raising an additional $480,000/year); and applying the Tax to all rent charged by hotel operators, including online travel companies, for the transient occupancy of any hotel room, to maintain general city services, including police, fire, library, streets, parks and recreation and other general municipal services until repealed by the voters?[2] |
” |
Impartial analysis
The following impartial analysis of the measure was prepared by the office of the El Centro City Attorney:
| “ |
The City of El Centro imposes a transient occupancy tax (“TOT”), also called a “room” tax, at the rate of ten percent (10%) of the rent paid by guests for the ability to occupy a room or other space in a hotel or other similar accommodation for dwelling, lodging or sleeping purposes (collectively “occupancy” and a “hotel”) for a period of thirty (30) consecutive days or less. This TOT currently is imposed upon paying hotel guests for the ability to occupy a room or other hotel space and collected by the hotel operator. The City Council has placed Measure “Q” on the ballot by unanimous vote. Passage of Measure “Q” would amend the City’s Municipal Code as follows:
(10%) to thirteen percent (13%) of the rent paid by guests for hotel occupancy. Because the tax is a general tax, its proceeds may be used for any City general governmental purpose, including but not limited to fire and police services; street operations and maintenance; library and parks and recreation facilities and services. The rate increase may generate up to an additional $480,000 per year.
consecutive days, the TOT will apply only to the first 30 days of occupancy;
other third parties as hotel “operators” who must collect the TOT from guests who purchase hotel occupancy on the internet;
all rates and fees commonly charged including room rates, parking fees, cancellation charges, and online booking fees, but excludes charges for food and beverages;
taxable occupancy is measured by the length of an individual guest’s stay, not the length of the “block reservation” entered into by the guest’s employer or agent; and
Measure “Q” must be approved by a majority of the votes cast by the City voters who vote on the ballot proposition. A “yes” vote on Measure “Q” will authorize the amendments to the City’s Municipal Code described above. A “no” vote on Measure “Q” will prohibit the City from adopting the amendments to its Municipal Code as described above and the TOT will remain in place at ten percent (10%) until otherwise revised by a majority vote of the voters.[2] |
” |
| —El Centro City Attorney[1] | ||
Full text
The full text of the measure is available here.
Path to the ballot
This measure was put on the ballot through a vote of the governing officials of El Centro, California.
Recent news
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See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Imperian County Registrar of Voters, "November 8, 2016, Sample Ballot," accessed October 27, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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