Eric Imker voted to increase Peachtree City’s hotel/motel tax rate from 6 percent to 7 percent this year. Due to state of Georgia requirements for this tax, it must be approved by the Georgia state legislature, which they did not.
However, this tax increase can be brought up for another Peachtree City Council vote and be resubmitted to the Georgia state legislature again for their approval.
Peachtree City is trying to draw convention and visitor business into our city to increase revenues for our hotels and motels and for our retailers and restaurants as well. Is this something the hotel and motel owners recommended? Were they asked if this would help or hurt our convention and visitor business?
What was the Peachtree City Convention and Visitors Bureau’s (CVB) recommendation on this tax increase? They recommended against it.
We are in competition, in a very competitive industry, for convention and visitor dollars. Increasing our hotel/motel taxes isn’t going to make us more competitive. It will make us less competitive. How many conventions and visitors will decide to stay at hotels and motels outside of Peachtree City because of this tax increase? Will any jobs be lost or employee hours cut back in our hotels and motels because of this tax increase?
We need to help our convention and visitor business not, hurt it. I will vote against this Peachtree City hotel/motel tax increase if I am elected to Peachtree City Council Post 1.
Steve Allen
Council Post 1 candidate
Peachtree City, Ga.
