ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) - St. Joseph voters have approved a new hotel/motel tax that will be used to revitalize and promote the city's downtown.
The St. Joseph News-Press reports that 58.3 percent of the voters on Tuesday approved a tax from 3 percent to 6 percent, with a 20-year sunset clause. Slightly less than 11 percent of registered voters in St. Joseph cast a ballot.
The estimated $500,000 annual revenue from the increase will be used for seed money for a Downtown events center. With those funds assured, the city will use other financial methods to build the events center.
After the center's construction, the tax revenue will cover its annual operating costs, while revenue from other hotels will fund riverfront development.
---
Information from: St. Joseph News-Press, http://www.stjoenews-press.com