Tuesday’s ballot, (June 4) will include a referendum on a tourism tax for the City of Louisville. The 2% tax would only be levied against motel/hotel room rentals within the city limits resulting in the vast bulk of the tax revenue coming from non-residents.
The proposed levy is expected to generate roughly $40,000 annually which will be utilized for tourism promotion, economic development and local park and recreation improvements.
The Louisville Board of Alderman voted unanimously in April to place the referendum on the June 4th ballot. Mayor Will Hill has met with local motel owners about the tax and one representative of the industry currently is a member of the local Tourism Board. Hill noted that more than 70 communities across the state already have a similar levy in place citing Philadelphia as an example – which has had a 3% special levy in place for almost 15 years.
To become effective, the referendum must pass by a 60% margin. To read the resolution in full, click here to visit the City of Louisville website or click here for a printable version of the resolution. To see Tuesday’s sample ballot – click here
