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Smart Voter
Humboldt County, CA November 4, 2008 Election
Measure E
Transient Occupancy Tax
City of Eureka

Majority Approval Required

Pass: 5198 / 62.60% Yes votes ...... 3106 / 37.40% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Results as of Nov 5 12:44am, 100.0% of Precincts Reporting (24/24)
60.6% Voter Turnout (8304/14725)
Information shown below: Impartial Analysis | Arguments |

Shall the Eureka Municipal Code be amended to increase the currently assessed nine percent (9%) Transient Occupancy Tax to ten percent (10%) to fund essential services such as police, fire, street maintenance, environmental programs, and parks and recreation?

Impartial Analysis from the City Attorney
The City of Eureka currently imposes a tax in the amount of 9% of the rent charged to persons who stay at a hotel within the Eureka City limits. This tax is called the transient occupancy tax ("TOT"). The tax is paid by the hotel room occupant directly to the hotel operator at the time the occupant pays his or her hotel bill. Hotel operators hold the collected taxes in trust for the benefit of the City and remit the taxes quarterly to the City tax administrator. If this measure is approved by the electorate, the TOT shall increase by 1% from the present 9% rate to 10%. Therefore, if this measure is approved, a person who stays in a hotel within the City of Eureka will pay 10% of the rent charged by the hotel operator as a TOT. All of the TOT revenues collected by the City are used, and shall continue to be used, for City general fund purposes. The ordinance proposed by this ballot measure will be adopted if this measure is approved by a simple majority of those electors voting on the measure at the November 5, 2008 election. A "yes" vote would approve an increase in the City's TOT by 1%. A "no" vote would reject the proposed 1% increase in the City's TOT.
s/ Sheryl Schaffner, City Attorney

 
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Arguments For Measure E
The Transient Occupancy Tax would be paid by visitors who rent hotel/motel rooms in Eureka. It will not be paid by Eureka residents. Revenue generated from the Transient Occupancy Tax would help to pay for our City's police, fire, environmental programs, street maintenance, parks and recreation, economic development, and other general government operations.

Eureka's current Transient Occupancy Tax rate is 9 percent. Other cities in Humboldt County have a 10 percent tax rate, so an adjustment in the Transient Occupancy Tax rate to 10 percent will keep Eureka in line with our neighboring communities.

Eureka has lost $8.7 million dollars in the last few years due to the State returning less and less of your property taxes to the cities. The increased Transient Occupancy Tax will help make up this budget shortfall without it coming out of your pocket. This is a fair tax because it is simply charging visitors a fair share for the services they receive from the community. If visitors do not pay their fair share, then Eureka residents have to subsidize them.

The City Council wants to develop revenues to provide the services and programs this community wants and deserves; and the Transient Occupancy Tax is a beneficial way to produce new revenue from tourists, visitors, and business travelers who use City services, without Eureka taxpayers having to expend their hard-earned money. Help your community have safer streets and neighborhoods, and continue a tradition of outstanding public services. Please vote Yes on Measure E.

s/ Councilmember Jeff Leonard
s/ Councilmember Larry Glass
s/ Councilmember Mike Jones
s/ Councilmember Chris Kerrigan

(No arguments against Measure E were submitted)


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