Augusta votes to raise hotel-motel taxes

Both Destination Augusta and the Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority end up with more money under a hotel-motel tax hike approved by the Augusta Commission Monday.

The Augusta Commission voted 7-0 to increase the tax from 6% to 8% at a called Monday meeting. The vote triggers the area legislative delegation to seek a local act for passage by the General Assembly.

City officials modified their request from last week Monday to split the bulk of proceeds from raising the tax, about $1.2 million, evenly between Destination Augusta and the Augusta-RIchmond County Coliseum Authority. The remainder goes to Augusta’s general fund.

Destination Augusta, formerly the Augusta Convention and Visitors Bureau, pushed for the increase last week at a meeting where the coliseum authority was slated to receive no increase from the tax hike. 

Pressing for the $680,620 increase Monday, Coliseum authority chairmen Cedric Johnson and Brad Usry said the group had been a part of earlier discussions with the former city administrator about receiving a larger share, but had not been included in last week’s discussion. The tax hike brings both entities’ annual allocations to approximately $4.8 million.

A handful of hoteliers appeared at the meeting last week and one spoke out against the increase, but no one appeared in opposition at the called Monday meeting.

Usry said the funds won’t be used for construction of the new James Brown Arena but instead will be used for maintenance and operations, to keep the arena the “shining star” it will become.