Lompoc City Council members opened the door to increasing transient occupancy tax when they directed city staff May 3 to begin preparing a ballot initiative that would place more funding
With Councilwoman Gilda Cordova recusing herself due to financial interests in hotel and related business in Lompoc, the remaining council members voted 4-0 to place an initiative on the November ballot. If approved by two-thirds majority, the city’s transient occupancy tax, also known as a bed tax, charged to hotel visitors staying 30 days or less would increase from 10% to 11%.
The city’s income from this year’s TOT is expected to hit $2.3 million, so a 1% increase would bring in an additional $230,000. Of that, $50,600 would be returned to hotels to cover the credit card service fee. Sign up to receive headlines in your inbox! Breaking News | Local Sports | Daily Headlines | Local Obituaries | Weather | Local Offers Click to Sign up! Mayor Pro Tem Jeremy Ball pointed out that the increase in revenues, while helpful, would not fund the addition of even one full-time police officer nor one part-time firefighter.