Tourism and taxation:
Changes to Visit Mendocino funding discussed | The Willits Lockdown
Thursday, December 22, 2022
A process to garner Visit Mendocino funding gets rolling
5 things to do in Willits for cheap
County + City gov’t
Taxation | Visit Mendocino funding
Not-for-profit tourism agency Visit Mendocino is looking to both increase taxation rates and expand a base of tax paying businesses in a recent initiative begun by the organization.
Visit Mendocino proposes to double its current 1 percent rate to 2 percent and extend a new 1 percent rate to businesses like restaurants and breweries.
“With increased marketing and naturally more tourism the county benefits as a whole,” Visit Mendocino director Travis Scott said.
Scott was speaking earlier this month to the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors.
“To be clear, Mendocino County Tourism Commission (Visit Mendocino) receives a one percent Business Improvement District Assessment and a match of 50 cents on the dollar from the county’s general fund,” Scott said.
Visit Mendocino gave a report to the county in May.
For example, a 1 percent assessment yielded about $1.2 million for Visit Mendocino with a $580,986 county contribution for the ‘20-’21 Fiscal Year, the report stated.
From those talks, Supervisor Dan Gjerde joined Supervisor Glenn McGourty on a committee.
Gjerde said it was described to him that city councils will be asked to make a decision to proceed.
If council members give their approval another voting process would follow that development.
“Once it gets adopted in their city, it is out of their (the city’s) control as to whether or not a majority of their businesses object to it,” said Gjerde.
Supervisor John Haschak last week engaged council members and City Manager Brian Bender at a city council meeting.
Councilwoman Saprina Rodriguez said she viewed Visit Mendocino’s proposal as “another level of taxation.”
“I think in the northern part of the county we really have not seen anything from Visit Mendocino that demonstrates that they are really investing in the northern part of the county,” Rodriguez said.
Visit Mendocino’s report to supervisors shows a hip looking couple waltzing down a row of wine grapes with a bottle in hand.
Visit Mendocino’s Scott said to supervisors that he believed there was support for including campgrounds with lodging and raising the rate.
For some the process is only beginning and questions remain to be answered.
City Manager Bender said that the city is monitoring the issue.
“Is this additional tax necessary and what is the benefit?” Bender said, “What is it going to return, at least interior wise for our perspective here in Willits?”
Visit Mendocino also seeks transient occupancy tax data from Willits, Ukiah, Fort Bragg and Point Arena.
“The trail to the cities has kind of went cold, because we are concerned and we have not gotten some clear answers from county staff and Visit Mendocino,” Bender said.
Working with Visit Mendocino’s consulting firm means information will be released to the consultant.
For the county;s part, Supervisors approved moving into drafting a non-disclosure agreement with the firm Civitas on a 4-2 vote.
Haschak and Gjerde dissented.
A tax rate of 1 percent from lodging establishments would expand to include campgrounds and both would be taxed at 2 percent, Visit Mendocino’s report stated.
An expansion of the types of businesses that can be taxed is also on the table.
The proposal seeks inclusion of “other tourism-facing business in the Business Improvement District at 1% assessment (ex: Attractions, Brewery on-site sales, Restaurants and Wine Tasting Room Sales).”
Visit Mendocino’s efforts may result in a revision of county code.
Under what is called a business improvement district, it is made possible to levy the tax through Chapter 5.140 of county code.
The Willits Lockdown
5 things under $10 without leaving Willits!
Purchase about three dollars of gasoline at the ARCO station, it’s $3.19 a gallon if you pay cash.
Check out the selection of free books at the Willits library, open regular hours ‘till it closes early at 2 PM Saturday.
Get a library card if you don’t have one. Be sure to bring a piece of mail to prove you live in Mendo. It’s free.
Take a tour of Mendocino County Museum, $5 admission for adults.
Look for elk and other wildlife on a drive around Reynolds Highway, hopefully not more than three gallons of fuel or you need to work on your driving.
Written and compiled by Zack Cinek | 707 613 0369 | newsboy.zack@gmail.com | Mail: 75 N MAIN ST #121 Willits CA 95490
