[StBernard] Battle over motel tax erupts in St. Bernard

Westley Annis westley at da-parish.com
Wed Oct 1 08:21:21 EDT 2008


Battle over motel tax erupts in St. Bernard
Voters to get final say on tourism proposal Wednesday, October 01, 2008By
Paul Rioux
Voters in Saturday's election will decide whether to impose a 2-percent
motel tax on overnight visitors in St. Bernard Parish to finance tourism
promotion.

Parish President Craig Taffaro said the tax would generate $40,000 to
$50,000 a year for the parish's tourism department, which has stepped up
efforts to advertise the parish's history and culture after Hurricane
Katrina.

"This is a way to market the parish to tourists without having to tax
residents," Taffaro said.

But the owner of the lone motel in St. Bernard Parish said the tax would
hinder his efforts to repair damage from Katrina.

"This tax is not going to come from people checking in. It's going to come
from my remodeling fund," said Bob Berthelot, who owns the Marina Motel on
Paris Road in Chalmette.

He said 98 of 134 rooms are back in commerce more than three years after
Katrina swamped the motel.

The 2-percent tax would be paid by visitors staying at the motel as well as
bed-and-breakfasts, RV parks and fishing camps. For a one-night stay at the
motel, where the average rate is $69, the tax would be $1.38.

Voters narrowly defeated an identical motel tax proposal in 2003 by 190
votes.

Gidget McDougall, St. Bernard's tourism director, said motel taxes are
levied in more than two-thirds of parishes statewide, including Orleans,
Jefferson and St. Tammany.

"We stand at an unfair advantage because we don't collect this fee to
promote our parish as a tourist destination by emphasizing its unique
heritage and culture," McDougall recently told the Parish Council, which
passed a resolution supporting the tax.

Berthelot said he plans to campaign against the tax with a newspaper ad and
signs.

"The timing of this is premature," he said. "Give me a chance to get back on
my feet first."

Parish officials said the 2-percent tax is the minimum allowed by the state
and is much lower than in neighboring New Orleans, which levies a 13-percent
tax.

"I don't feel like we're asking for too much," Taffaro said.

. . . . . . .

Paul Rioux can be reached at prioux at timespicayune.com or 504.826.3321.




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