GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — In less than three months, Michigan voters will cast their ballots in the state's August 6 primary. And in Kent County, some leaders are pushing hard for the passage of one proposal in particular.
This is a proposal would seek to raise Kent County's lodging tax on hotel and motel stays.
The option to put this to voters was made available through legislation signed by Governor Whitmer in April.
If approved by voters, it would bring the hotel tax in Kent County up from its current 5% to 8%. Combined with other state and local taxes, this would bring the total tax for a hotel room in Kent County to 18%.
The proceeds of that increased tax, some leaders have said, would help pay for ambitious new plans to attract people to the area, including plans for a new amphitheater, soccer stadium and possibly an aquarium as well.
Since the Kent County Board of Commissioners gave the ballot proposal the go-ahead to appear on the August primary ballot at their May 2 meeting, many leaders, particularly in Grand Rapids, have begun drumming a message of support for passing it.
Some leaders reiterated those calls for passage at Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss's State of the City address on Thursday.
"We have to execute the the lodging proposal to raise the hotel-motel tax," said Joshua Lunger, who serves as the Vice President of Government Affairs for the Grand Rapids Chamber. "That is a key public financing component of these big projects and other things in the future."
"Increasing the visitor tax is critical to building these projects and unlocking the benefits that they most certainly will deliver," Bliss said.
However, three county commissioners expressed concerns with the proposal at their May 2 meeting and voted against putting it on the August ballot.
"I can't help but think about, you know, a grandmother in Byron Center - she wants to have her kids and grandkids come stay nearby for a week and puts them up in a hotel in Byron Township," District 9 Commissioner Matt Kallman said during that meeting. "Like, should that grandma who has no connection to Grand Rapids, never comes here, like, should she be obligated to pay for these things?"
Whether that tax increase would be too much in the eyes of voters, or if they believe it is the right choice, won't be known for certain until voters head to the polls in August.
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