Lodging properties OK room tax hike

Carson City lodging properties indicated they were in favor of a

3 percent room tax increase Tuesday, pushing the recommendation to the Carson City Convention & Visitor's Bureau board of directors.

If the five-member CCCVB board of directors accepts the proposal, it will then go to the Board of Super-visors for consideration. The current hotel room tax rate is 10 percent.

"In an effort to increase overnight tourism and continue to develop Carson City as a travel destination, we feel that additional revenue is now warranted and necessary," according to the proposal.

The tax increase has been part of discussions among lodging properties and tourism officials for months.

Under the proposal, Carson City's hotel room tax would increase by

3 percent on Jan. 1, 2011. Of the increase, two-thirds of the new revenue would go to Carson City Parks and Recreation to refurbish the JDW Centennial Complex with handicap accessibility, new scoreboards and fencing.

Lodging properties say a significant portion of their business comes from out of town competitive sports tournaments that use the facility.

The remainder of the new revenue would be split between marketing funds for the visitors bureau and the V&T Railroad.

The CCCVB board will meet Oct. 11 at 4 p.m. at the Carson City Community Center and are expected to address the proposal.

Of the 22 lodging properties in Carson City, five of the largest properties attended the informal meeting inside the Plaza Conference Center Tuesday.

Those properties included the Courtyard at Marriott, Gold Dust West, Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express and City Center. All properties were given notice of Tuesday's meeting and all that attended were in favor of the increase.