A public meeting on the accommodations tax rate collected from Talbot County visitors will take place on Tuesday, December 3 at 6 p.m. in the meeting room of the Talbot County Free Library’s Easton Branch.
The meeting is hosted by the Talbot County Tourism Board and will begin with a brief presentation followed by public comments on new legislation that proposes an increase from 4 to 6%.
Talbot County’s Public Accommodations Tax revenue is based on a rate of 4% of the value of the rental of rooms for sleeping accommodations provided to transients. The rate was 3% in 1996 and was last increased by 1% in 2004.
Talbot County Economic Development and Tourism Director Cassandra Vanhooser says the meeting will inform the public and provide opportunities to express opinions on the proposed legislation. The meeting should be of particular interest to local towns and tourism partners who either collect or would benefit from the increased tax rate.
“Revenue from this locally collected tax goes back to our towns to re-invest in infrastructure affected by tourism such as roads, garbage collection, and public safety,”says Vanhooser. “Talbot County’s revenue goes toward marketing and promotion to attract guests to Talbot County and our towns and to position our region as a premier travel destination.”
More information about Talbot County’s tax rates is available at www.talbotcountymd.gov/taxrates.
