LIHUE » Kauai County officials want a bigger share of the state’s Transient Accommodation Tax.

The tax is a 9.25 percent surcharge on hotel rooms

The state in fiscal year 2012 collected $13.5 million from Kauai County. The county received $13.7 million.

Council legislative assistant Ashley Bunda tells The Garden Island that visitor-related expenses cost the county $44.24 million in fiscal year 2012, including nearly $25 million in operations expense such as police and fire calls.

State lawmakers since 2010 have capped the hotel tax share for all counties at $93 million.

County Council Chairman Jay Furfaro says the state tax this year will take in $352 million. The county is asking state lawmakers to double the share received by counties, which would increase Kauai county’s share to $27.4 million.