Monterey To Explore Hotel-Motel Tax To Boost Tourism Funding

The town of Monterey will start the process of exploring the creation of an occupancy tax.

The tax funding comes from lodging and rentals in the area, or what some called “heads in beds.” Cultural Administrator Rafferty Cleary said the money generated from the tax has to go directly toward economic and community development.

“With us trying to relaunch our downtown program, I was asking Ashley if those funds could technically go towards some kind of initiative through that, yes it could that’s economic development that could be classified as tourism,” Cleary said. “But anything that we classify as helping tourism or economic development, that money could go towards it.”

Cleary said the tax is something the governor’s office and State Tourism Director are encouraging. He said a new law recently passed to make it easier for counties and municipalities to establish occupancy taxes, allowing for more tourism dollars to be generated.

Cleary said the county has a seven percent occupancy tax and the town of Monterey would be capped at three percent. He said he will work with Tourist Development Division Manager Ashley DeRossett to look at similar municipalities to form a resolution to be passed by the board.

“Do we target campgrounds, just hotels, we can make it any way we like it to look,” Cleary said. “I think it’s something positive, right now, but looking towards the future it’s something we need to think about as well. If we ever have camping opportunities at Meadow Creek, or who knows what other types of camping opportunities could open up in the city limits or hotels. There are lots of possibilities at the 300 exit here in the next couple of years.”

The Board of Alderman passed a motion to “get the ball rolling” on this process.