Pass: 9,157 / 79.49% Yes votes ...... 2,363 / 20.51% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Impartial Analysis from City Attorney

The City of Indio's current transient occupancy tax (TOT) is I0% of the room charge that hotel and lodging facilities impose on their transients (guests) and has been in effect since April 1, 1989. TOT is paid by persons staying at such facilities for a period of thirty (30) days or less and is not paid by property owners.

Measure "O" will increase the TOT from 10% to 13% for hotel and lodging facilities with less than 50 rooms and on occupancies in any campground or recreational vehicle park. Transients in hotel and lodging facilities with 50 rooms or more already pay a 13% "surcharge" made up of 10% TOT, a 2% assessment levied by a multi-jurisdictional Tourism Business improvement District, and a 1% assessment levied by a multi-jurisdictional Tourism Marketing District. Measure "O" will provide uniformity of among hotel and lodging facilities regardless of the number of rooms by ensuring that transients will pay either 13% in TOT or 10% in TOT plus 3% in assessments. If the City ceases participating in either the improvement or marketing district, then the TOT collected by lodging facilities with 50 or more rooms will increase in accordance with the reduction in assessments collected. Measure "O" also clarifies the definition of hotels to include campgrounds and provides a definition of campgrounds.

lf Measure "O" is approved, persons staying at hotels and lodging facilities regardless of the number of rooms, including campgrounds or recreational vehicle parks would pay $13.00 in surcharges for each $100 of the room charge per day (either $13.00 in TOT or $10.00 in TOT and $3.00 assessment).

Revenue generated by the TOT will continue to be deposited into the City's General Fund and may be used to continue to fund general City services such as police, firefighters, paramedics, senior and youth services and parks. If Measure "O" is approved, it is estimated that TOT revenue will increase by approximately $514,656 per fiscal year.

On July 16,2014, the City Council unanimously approved Resolution No. 9725 to place this Measure on the ballot.

A "Yes" vote on Measure "O" is a vote in favor of increasing the TOT from 10% to 13% and will result in uniformity among all hotel and lodging facilities regardless of the number of rooms, including campgrounds and recreational vehicles.
A "No" vote on Measure "O" is a vote to maintain the TOT at the existing rate of 10% for hotel and lodging facilities including campgrounds and recreational vehicle parks except those persons staying at hotel and lodging facilities with 50 or more rooms, will continue to pay 10% in TOT and 3% in assessments.
This Measure "O" will be adopted if it is approved by a majority of the voters voting on this Measure.

By: Roxanne Diaz
City Attorney

The above statement is an impartial analysis of Measure "O". if you desire a copy of the measure, please call the elections official's office at (760) 391- 4000 and a copy will be mailed at no cost to you.