Drive starts for hotel tax boost
A yes vote on Aug. 3 is important for KC to stay competitive, tourism officials say

By Rick Alm
Copyright 1999  Kansas City Star Co.
Reprinted with permission
Article date: July 8, 1999
 

The best tax is one somebody else has to pay.

That's the sales pitch that local hotel and tourism industry officials will use in trying to persuade Kansas City voters to approve on Aug. 3 an increase in the local hotel-room tax to 6.5 percent from 5.5 percent.

"This city normally comes together when there's something important to decide," said Deron Cherry, a former Kansas City Chiefs player, managing partner of United Beverage Co. and co-chairman of the Yes for Conventions/Tourism committee.

"And this is very important," Cherry said at a Bartle Hall news conference Wednesday that kicked off the campaign.

The tax increase would raise an extra $2.7 million a year from hotel and motel guests.

The money would be split three ways:

The Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater Kansas City would get about $1 million to increase its advertising and promotion of Kansas City as a convention and vacation destination.

The city would get about $1.5 million for its convention and entertainment facilities maintenance and operating budget.

The city's neighborhood tourism fund would get 10 percent, or about $270,000, to help fund local festivals, fairs and the like.

Bureau President Wayne Chappell said his agency's $4.8 million annual budget was far behind those of other cities against which Kansas City must compete to attract conventions, tourists and business travelers.

St. Louis, for instance, spends about $10.4 million a year promoting itself.

Other regional competitors with bigger annual budgets include San Antonio, Houston, Denver, Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Louisville, Ky., Chappell said.

He said too much was at stake for Kansas City to fall further behind.

"This means jobs for Kansas City," he said.

"Tourism is a vast industry here with some 39,000 people" working in various businesses from food and produce suppliers to hotel workers and taxicab drivers.

Chappell said one long-postponed initiative would be to purchase advertising space in in-flight airline magazines.

Joe Serviss, chief of staff for Mayor Kay Barnes, said at least some of the city's share of the increased revenue would probably be used to help retire Bartle Hall construction bonds.

Reprinted with permission of The Kansas City Star
 

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