Monday, 22 March 2010 18:00

Plymouth Ordinance Would Raise Transient Occupancy Tax

slide1-_plymouth_ordinance_would_raise_transient_occupancy_tax.pngAmador County – The Plymouth City Council will consider an increase to the city’s Transient Occupancy Tax Thursday, a decision that would ultimately have to be made at the ballot box. The council will consider an ordinance to raise the TOT tax from 6 percent to an as-yet undetermined amount. The increase would be subject to approval by a city-wide vote requiring a 2/3rds majority to pass. City Attorney Steven Rudolph prepared the ordinance, but left out the potential new tax amount. The ordinance would amend Plymouth municipal code to increase the Transient Occupancy Tax on rent charged by hotel operators, with the change subject to voter approval, as required by state law. City Clerk Gloria Stoddard said 6 percent is the current percentage of the TOT tax. She said the new tax rate was left blank by Rudolph at the direction of City Manager Dixon Flynn, so that the amount can be discussed with the city council. According to Rudoph’s background information, the city may hold a general election on a general tax increase once every 2 years. The related timeline said if the ordinance is introduced Thursday, then the council at its first meeting in April could adopt the resolution calling for the election. It would be a special election, combined with the Amador County general election on November 2nd. Stoddard said the steps would include an “impartial analysis” by the city attorney. Following that would be arguments for and against the ordinance and the new TOT tax, which could be printed on the ballot, along with rebuttals from either side. The percentage of a new TOT tax would be at the discretion of the city council to determine, but the final approval power belongs to the city’s voters. Amador County currently has a 10 percent Transient Occupancy Tax, Stoddard said, and most of the cities in the county are 10 percent. Stoddard said the “TOT is to the betterment of the citizens to approve it, because it puts taxes on the visitors here, not on residents.” Plymouth City Council meets at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.