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New Orleans, Louisiana, Short Term Rentals Occupancy Tax Proposition (November 2019)
| New Orleans Short Term Rentals Occupancy Tax Proposition |
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| The basics |
| Election date: |
| November 16, 2019 |
| Status: |
 Approved
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| Topic: |
| Local business tax Expires in: No expiration |
| Related articles |
| Local business tax on the ballot November 16, 2019 ballot measures in Louisiana Orleans Parish, Louisiana ballot measures City tax on the ballot |
| See also |
| New Orleans, Louisiana |
A city tax measure concerning short term rentals was on the ballot for New Orleans voters in Orleans Parish, Louisiana, on November 16, 2019. It was approved.
| A yes vote was a vote in favor of authorizing an additional 6.75 percent tax on the rent or fee charged for short-term rentals that would raise revenue for infrastructure improvements and a fund to promote tourism in New Orleans. |
| A no vote was a vote against authorizing a 6.75 percent tax on the rent or fee charged for short-term rentals, thereby leaving the existing short term rental tax rate of 8.45 percent in place. |
Election results
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New Orleans, Louisiana, Short Term Rentals Occupancy Tax Proposition (November 2019) |
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| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
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77,642 | 65.31% | ||
| No | 41,248 | 34.69% | ||
Text of measure
Ballot question
The ballot question was as follows:[1]
| “ |
Shall the City of New Orleans (the "City"), under provisions of Article VI, Section 30 of the Louisiana Constitution and other applicable constitutional and statutory authority, be authorized to levy and collect in perpetuity, beginning January l, 2020, on short term rentals of overnight lodging in the City an occupancy tax (the "Tax") in an amount not to exceed six and three-quarters percent (6.75 %) of the rent or fee charged for such occupancy, with approximately $10,500,000 estimated to be collected from the levy of the Tax for an entire year if it is levied at the 6.75 % maximum, and with the proceeds of such Tax, except for a reasonable collection fee, if any, to be distributed as follows: seventy-five percent (75%) shall be dedicated to the infrastructure fund Of the City created pursuant to Ordinance No. 27,986, M.C.S. and twenty-five percent (25%) shall be allocated, pursuant to a multi-year cooperative endeavor agreement approved by the City Council, to New Orleans & Company to be used to promote tourism in the City?[2] |
” |
Full text
The full text of the measure is available here.
Background
Ordinances on Short Term Rentals passed in 2019
On August 8, 2019, the New Orleans City Council passed two ordinances related to short term rentals: Ordinance No. 32,685 and Ordinance No. 32,691.[3]
Ordinance No. 32,685
The City of New Orleans provided the following explanation of the ordinance:[3]
| “ | Ordinance No. 32,685 modifies the City's Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance (CZO) to establish two classifications of STR permits, Residential and Commercial, along with zoning regulations for each. The most significant modification is a homestead exemption requirement for the residential permit, outlawing whole-home STR rentals in residential areas and ensuring that owners reside at the property full-time. The ordinance requires commercial STR applicants to provide a security, sanitation, and nuisance plan. Both residential and commercial STR permits must be renewed annually and are not transferrable. The ordinance also bans STRs in the French Quarter (except for Bourbon Street) and Garden District.[2] | ” |
Ordinance No. 32,691
The City of New Orleans provided the following explanation of the ordinance:[3]
| “ | Ordinance No. 32,691 establishes STR owner, operator, and platform permits and fees; operating regulations; and enforcement penalties. New permitting and operating fees are below:
ANNUAL PERMIT FEES
STR Operator Permit:
STR Platform Permit: $10,000 STR Nightly Occupancy Fee - per night of occupancy per dwelling unit:
The new regulations, permitting and fees will take effect on December 1, 2019.[2] |
” |
Path to the ballot
This measure was put on the ballot through a vote of the New Orleans City Council on August 8, 2019.[3]
See also
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Orleans Parish Elections Office website
- City of New Orleans Short Term Rental webpages
Footnotes
- ↑ New Orleans City Council, "Resolution No. R-19-308," accessed September 9, 2019
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 New Orleans City Council, "August 08, 2019 10:00 AM Meeting," accessed November 12, 2019
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