OPINION: ‘Yes’ on Measure L to raise hotel tax

We recommend a “yes” vote on Measure L to modestly shift more of the tax burden to the tourists that use our services.|

There is an old adage attributed to Russell B. Long, a former Senator from Louisiana: “Don’t tax you, don’t tax me. Tax that guy behind the tree.”

In Sonoma County’s case, that guy behind the tree is one of the millions of tourists who flock here every year to sip our wine, enjoy our beaches and put a strain our resources like roads and emergency services.

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors has proposed a modest tax increase on hotel stays, which is expected to generate $4.8 million per year, some of which will go to offset the very impacts of the tourists staying in those hotels.

Measure L on the Nov. 8 ballot would raise the hotel, or transit occupancy tax (TOT) by 3 percent, from 9 percent to 12 percent, which would put Sonoma County’s rate on par with surrounding counties and the cities of Sonoma County.

We encourage voters to support this measure, not only for the boost it will give to efforts like road paving and firefighting. In the current formula, 75 percent of the money that this tax generates goes to programs and events that attract tourists but also benefit residents.

In Petaluma, the TOT has been used to fund the Butter and Egg Days Parade, Veteran’s Day parade, Petaluma Arts Center, Petaluma Music Festival and Cinnabar Theater to name a few.

The other 25 percent goes into the county’s general fund, and supervisors have pledged to continue using the funds for priorities including road repair and potentially workforce housing development.

If the current allocation formula is adhered to, the increased revenue from the measure would mean an extra $3.6 million for cultural programs, including marketing, and $1.2 million for other county services.

Since it is a general tax, it requires a simple majority to pass. Opponents rightly say that taxes that go into the general fund could be used by officials for any purpose. While this is true, we have no reason not to believe that the Board of Supervisors will spend the increased revenue from this measure using the same formula as the current transient occupancy tax.

If the measure passes, the increased TOT would only be assessed on hotels outside of the city limits. In the Petaluma area, there are next to none, although plenty of tourists do stay in the city and drive through here on their way to the coast or the wine country and use county services.

The majority of lodging establishments that will be impacted by this tax increase are located along the Russian River, the coast and the Sonoma Valley. Yet Petaluma stands to receive a modest share of revenue to promote the cultural programs that make the city an attractive place to visit.

The increase would add $3 onto a $100 hotel room bill, hardly an amount that would deter tourists from coming to Sonoma County.

We recommend a “yes” vote on Measure L to modestly shift more of the tax burden to the tourists that use our services.

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