Avon Council talks bed tax, visitors bureau

Avon is gearing up to open a visitors and convention bureau after city council listened to the second reading of an ordinance to increase the city’s hotel bed tax during a special meeting Oct. 6.

Avon Mayor Bryan Jensen has said that a governing body, such as city council, can amend changes such as the tax hike.

The bed tax currently stands at 3 percent and the additional tax would bring it up to 6 percent.

The bed tax is set to go into place Jan. 1. Half of the money will go toward funding the bureau.

City Council will officially vote if it will have a bureau during its regular council meeting Oct. 14.

Avon has two hotels; Fairfield Inn and Value Place. Those two hotels would generate an estimated $303,000 with the bed tax at 6 percent, according to Finance Director Bill Logan. He also estimated that if the two new hotels, Cambria Suites and Marriot Residence Inn, were at full capacity Jan. 1 and on, they would generate an estimated $153,000 a year.

“We think that they’re reasonable estimates,” Logan said.

Jensen said that the visitors bureau would be a benefit to the city in terms of how it would advertise itself.

Logan said the bed tax has been in place since 1998.

Pam Fechter, economic development and assistant planning coordinator for the city, laid out her possible plans for the bureau including an Avon-only magazine, advertising and working with businesses.

The purpose of the visitors bureau is to promote the city, to spend time in the city and live in the city, Fechter said.

“This whole organization is going to serve Avon,” she said. “There’s a lot of ideas floating out there.”

Jensen said the hotels are on board

with helping.

“The hotels are excited because it will be focused on them,” he said.

Logan sees the benefits of a visitors bureau.

“It’s a higher tax (than before)... we’re still lower here than what hotels in Westlake are charging,” he said.

The magazine will be a great help as it will be strictly Avon, Jensen said.

“It’s going to be a book of stories with what Avon has to offer,” he said.

Councilman Bob Butkowski also supports the visitors bureau.

“I think it’s a good idea overall having a visitors bureau,” he said.