DeMaio rolls over for hoteliers, votes to impose new tax

Convention Expansion Inertia Lurches Forward

Voice of San Diego

by Liam Dillon

January 24, 2012

 

"Will you commit on behalf of your industry, in consultation with your industry, to work with us to address some of the concerns that you heard today?" DeMaio asked.

 

"We'd be happy to work with anyone who has a question about where we can go and what we can do to make this occur," McDowell replied.

 

And with that, DeMaio said he'd support the visitor tax hike on Tuesday. But, the councilman added, he still hoped his concerns about the expansion's funding would be addressed at a future hearing.

 

The vote on the tax increase happened next. It passed 6-2 with Alvarez and Emerald in opposition. The tax increase now goes to the city's hoteliers for their own vote in April.

 

It was unclear what commitment DeMaio actually got McDowell to make. After the meeting, McDowell said he didn't pledge to use excess revenue from the visitor tax hike to pay down the city budget's share, as DeMaio had suggested during the hearing. Instead, McDowell said he agreed to help try to find some additional sources of revenue. But where that new money would come from after the city's spent years developing its current financing plan, McDowell didn't know.

 

"Nothing fresh on the mind," he said.