Share revenues with counties

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Jan 22, 2013

~~<p>When the recession was at its worst in Hawaii a couple of years ago, the Legislature decided to scoop the top of revenue from hotel room taxes otherwise destined for the counties. The state's economy now is well on the road to recovery, and it should restore full proceeds of that tax to the counties, as had been customary.</p>
<p>State legislators approved a measure in 2011 that capped at $93 million the amount of money counties gathered from the state hotel tax, or transient accommodations tax (TAT). The tax was created in 1990 because of what lawmakers recognized as "many of the burdens imposed by tourism" falling on the counties, such as police and fire protection, parks, beaches and other tourism-related expenses. From the start, in an admirable case of home rule, most of the TAT was returned to the county where it was raised.</p>
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When the recession was at its worst in Hawaii a couple of years ago, the Legislature decided to scoop the top of revenue from hotel room taxes otherwise destined for the counties. The state's economy now is well on the road to recovery, and it should restore full proceeds of that tax to the counties, as had been customary.

State legislators approved a measure in 2011 that capped at $93 million the amount of money counties gathered from the state hotel tax, or transient accommodations tax (TAT). The tax was created in 1990 because of what lawmakers recognized as "many of the burdens imposed by tourism" falling on the counties, such as police and fire protection, parks, beaches and other tourism-related expenses. From the start, in an admirable case of home rule, most of the TAT was returned to the county where it was raised. Login for more...