Tuolumne County Motel Tax, Measure C (June 2012)
A Tuolumne County Motel Tax, Measure C ballot question was on the June 5, 2012 ballot for voters throughout Tuolumne County, where it was defeated.[1]
Tuolumne County already had a motel/bed tax of 10%[2]. If Measure C had been approved, that tax rate would have stayed the same. What would have changed was that the 10% tax would have applied to additional types of overnight or transient lodging. Specifically, it would have been extended to apply to:
- RV parks
- Privately owned campgrounds (publicly owned campgrounds would be exempt from the tax)
- Houseboats
Election results
| Measure C | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 No | 8,056 | 56.26% | ||
| Yes | 6,262 | 43.74% | ||
- These final election results are from the Tuolumne County elections office.
Support
The Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors put forward the measure[3][4] and estimated that the extension could generate as much as $350,000 that the county would use to help fund Railtown and the Mother Lode Fairgrounds on a temporary basis to avoid their closures[5][6].
The editorial board of the Union Democrat supported Measure C, saying, "The revenues generated will go toward supporting Railtown 1897 State Historic Park and the Mother Lode Fairgrounds. There is indeed a nexus between the tax and the beneficiaries — Railtown and fairground activities draws tourists to the county, as well as serving local residents. The failure of Measure C puts in jeopardy Railtown and the fairgrounds’ very existence."[7]
Opposition
Owners of the county's private campgrounds objected to Measure C, saying that if visitors had to pay more to stay in the county, they might stay away altogether. This would have hurt the entire tourism industry (restaurants, shops, gas stations, etc.) in the county.[1]
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Modesto Bee, "Tax measures on June ballot in Stanislaus and Tuolumne," March 31, 2012
- ↑ Tuolumne County Hotel Tax, Measure A (June 2010)
- ↑ The Union Democrat, "Board hopes to keep Railtown, fair afloat," March 5, 2012
- ↑ myMotherLode.com, "County leaders put lodging-tax expansion to voters in June," March 7, 2012
- ↑ myMotherLode.com, "Railtown 1897 Proposed To Close," May 13, 2011
- ↑ The Union Democrat, "Mother Lode Fair directors mull options," January 13, 2012
- ↑ Union Democrat, "Recommendations for June 5 ballot measures, propositions," May 23, 2012
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