I am glad to see that this coming year our four mayors plan an organized effort to remove the state cap on the Transient Accommodation Tax revenues. This tax originated to assist the counties to provide the essential services needed for the visitor industry (from roads to rescue services). At that time the State only charged a 5% administrative fee. Since then the state has usurped more and more of this county revenue source. When the last recession hit our state legislators capped the portion received by the counties, promising this cap would be removed. But surprise surprise, now that the economy has improved - and despite the enormous state surplus, state legislators are ignoring their promise to remove the cap on the Counties share of this revenue source. It is time to hold the state legislature to its promise, and stop acting like we counties are taking their TAT revenues. Given the withholding of their TAT revenues, the Counties had to pony up for immediate services needed for the visitor industry, and forsake long-term County needs such as road repair and essential wastewater and solid waste programs. The bottom line is that the sstate would rather snitch from the counties than deal with state revenue issues in an above board manner. Last year our mayors got sidetracked from the TAT cap issue, while they sought authority to impose a county GET surcharge to its residents. Hope that does not happen again. We must all speak to the candidates for Governor and to our State legislators and insist on restoration of the Counties share of the TAT revenues.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 15:55:59 +0000