Increase of hotel room tax gets OK
In 1794, Western Pennsylvania farmers rebelled against what they saw as inequities in the tax system that kept them from getting their due for the whiskey, transported over the Appalachian Mountains to markets in the East, they had distilled from their grain crop.
Nearly 225 years later, William “Tripp” Kline III is the man behind the Whiskey Rebellion Festival in downtown Washington, where, in the middle of South Main Street, the tarring and feathering of a tax “revenoor” is gleefully re-enacted.
So Kline was quick to note the irony of his appearance before the Washington County Board of Commissioners Thursday when he spoke in favor of their proposal to raise the tax on hotel room occupancy by 2 percent.
“I do want to support the room tax adjustment,” Kline said, using a euphemism for “increase.”
“It may sound funny coming from someone who represents a festival about a tax protest. We believe its important to support our heritage assets, our tourism assets and to build those things in our community.”
Scott Becker, executive director of the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, echoed his sentiment.
“Other counties have raised their tax, and we need to do that, as well,” he said.
The impetus for raising the hotel room tax came from Jeff Kotula, president of Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency.
The 3 percent levy generated $1,251,746 for tourism in 2016, according to Francis King, county treasurer.
Kotula said the $1.2 million for this year is being spent on media buys in radio, television and newspapers, as well as in additional support for the Pony League World Series and Whiskey Rebellion Festival.
King estimated a 2 percent increase in the hotel tax would generate an additional $250,000 per year, money Kotula said the tourism promotion agency would spend on promoting overnight and weekend stays.
In 2016, the state Legislature gave tourism promotion agencies across the state the ability to generate additional revenue through an increase in the hotel tax under Act 18.
Commission Vice Chairman Diana Irey Vaughan and Commissioner Harlan Shober voted Thursday to raise the tax, which will be 5 percent.
Irey Vaughan read a message from Commission Chairman Larry Maggi, who wrote from the six-day American Legion Legacy Run and Fund motorcycle trip as one of more than 400 Legion riders traveling to Reno, Nev., and the American Legion national convention.
Maggi noted if he had been present at the meeting, he would have voted to increase the hotel room tax.