Pass: 1462 / 57.88% Yes votes ...... 1064 / 42.12% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Impartial Analysis from City Attorney

If approved by the voters, Measure Z2012 would amend the Solvang Municipal Code to increase the tax paid by temporary occupants of rooms two percentage points. This measure would set the transient occupancy tax rate at twelve percent (12%). At this rate, for example, a stay in a hotel $100 in value would generate a tax of twelve dollars. The tax is not imposed upon the hotel or motel owner but is imposed upon the temporary, or "transient", occupant. The owner of the hotel or motel does have a duty to both collect the tax from the occupant and to remit the tax to the City of Solvang.

This measure requires all proceeds of the tax to be deposited into the City's General Fund to be used for such general municipal governmental purposes as the City Council shall direct. Among such purposes are police services, tourism related services, public bathroom construction and maintenance, street and sidewalk construction, maintenance and repair, pothole repair, and storm drain construction, maintenance and repair. It is estimated that this increase will generate Five Hundred Thousand ($500,000.00) or more additional revenue on an annual basis from the visitors that will pay the tax.

The transient occupancy tax increase proposed by this measure will only become effective if approved by a majority of those electors voting on the measure.

A YES vote approves the measure. A NO vote rejects the measure

Roy A. Hanley City Attorney, City of Solvang