HB 18-1084

House Bill 18-1084 changes how counties can use money from a lodging tax. Currently, if a county has a lodging tax, it must be used for advertising and marketing tourism in that area. This bill removes this requirement, allowing the money to be spent on other things without needing voter approval first, unless the county already has specific rules limiting its use. The bill also stops requiring election costs to be paid from the same fund as the tourism tax. Since it's signed into law, counties can now have more flexibility in how they spend this tax revenue.

Official Summary

Counties are currently authorized, with prior voter approval, to levy a county lodging tax for the purpose of advertising and marketing local tourism. The bill eliminates the requirement that the lodging tax be used for advertising and marketing local tourism. If a county already has a lodging tax that is limited to advertising and marketing local tourism, then the county would need prior voter approval to begin using the lodging tax revenues for any other purpose. The requirement that election costs be reimbursed from a county lodging tax tourism fund, which will no longer be the sole depository of the county tourism tax revenue, is discontinued.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More