Edit: I didn't split this out (maybe Lostone did) but I was about to. Thought it would be better placed in the MRV general forum. A great topic. As you were....
- TW
I thought Win's piece was well written but the people that need to read it are the legistators in Montpelier. Not too many people in the valley like or support Act 60. Act 60 took 10 years of political haggling and finally a Vermont Supreme Court decision which forced the state to come up with something pretty quickly. In addition, it's a tale of two towns in that if your a Sending Town you hate it but if your in a Receiving Town you love it.Originally Posted by notorious
The tax that really bugs me and is an obstacle for every lodging property and restaurant in Vermont is the highest in the nation Lodging and Meals tax. Actually I don't know if it is the highest in the nation but I did some checking and I could not find any state where it was higher. In Jackson Hole they started a 2% Lodging tax but after a few years decided to repeal it.
When you are pricing a lodging package for someone and have to add 9% for the L&M tax plus a 5% service fee, that can be a chunk of change for alot of folks. IMHO we need to lower this tax to a reasonable level and maybe bake into the lodging rate the service fee(pretty easily done) so it doesn't hit so hard up front. Plus, lowering the L&M tax would help Vermont compete with othere states in the northeast for the destination skier.
Our saving grace is our product, the mountain, the terrain. Once the construction is completed I think we will get lots of positive press and if mother nature cooperates this winter we will be well on our way to bringing the Bush back to it's former glory.
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