Letter to the Editor: Public Measure to be voted on November 5

To the Editor:

I would like to bring your attention to one of the public measures coming up on the November 5, 2019 election ballot.

This item is a proposed tax of 7% to overnight visitors who pay for lodging outside of the city limits but within Allamakee County. If this public measures passes, it will be effective July 1, 2020.

Just so you know, an overnight visitor who pays for lodging within the city limits of Waukon or Lansing currently pays a 7% hotel/motel sales tax. As of right now, if this overnight visitor paid for lodging outside of the Waukon or Lansing city limits, he/she would not pay a hotel/motel sales tax.

A locally imposed hotel/motel tax ranges from 1% to 7%. The majority are collecting the maximum of 7%. A hotel/motel excise tax of 5% is currently collected and paid to the State whether the property is within the city limits or outside of the city limits.

I am happy to report 100% of the locally imposed hotel/motel tax collected is sent back to the governing body that passed the hotel/motel tax, which in this case would be Allamakee County, with the tax proceeds received by the Allamakee County Treasurer. Allamakee County Economic Development & Tourism will be receiving 50% of these dollars to promote overnight tourism in Allamakee County. The other half remains with the County to be spent within authorized statutory limitations.

Allamakee County Economic Development is a nonprofit, county-wide economic development corporation. Its primary emphasis is to enhance existing economic development efforts in Allamakee County through retention and expansion of existing business and industry, tourism marketing and coordination, housing need assessment and development, and the recruitment of new business and industry by providing assistance and referrals.

If you would like to know more about Economic Development in Allamakee County or have questions about this information, please contact Executive Director Val Reinke at 563-568-2624 or aced@mchsi.com.

If you would like to know more about the hotel/motel tax, please visit https://tax.iowa.gov/iowa-hotel-motel-tax. If you would like to review all of the items on the November 5, 2019 ballot, please visit https://www.allamakee.us/auditor2.

Val Reinke
Executive Director
Allamakee County Economic Development & Tourism