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SLO County creates a tourism district

June 11, 2015

slo county signThe San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Wednesday to create an agency that will impose fees on lodging businesses in order to raise marketing money for bolstering tourism in the county. [Tribune]

When it comes into existence on July 1, the San Luis Obispo County Tourism Marketing District will begin levying 1 percent assessments on all overnight rentals in the county. The assessment affects hotels, motels and inns, as well as vacation rentals, bed and breakfasts and RV rental parks.

The new district is expected to raise an estimated $2.8 million a year. The money will go to Visit San Luis Obispo County, a nonprofit that is supposed to spend the funds on marketing efforts aimed at attracting more tourists and convincing them to stay longer than just a day or two.

Supporters outnumbered opponents two to one at Wednesday’s meeting. Some business owners, though, asked the supervisors to exempt vacation rentals and bed-and-breakfasts.

Vacation rental and bed-and-breakfast owners who spoke at the hearing said they do their own marketing and have higher occupancy rates than hotels and motels. They also said large hotels, not small lodging businesses, should finance the district.

Supervisors Bruce Gibson and Frank Mecham said they were willing to to exempt vacation rentals and RV parks, but the other members of the board did not agree.


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Debbie Arnold and Lynn Compton are the most conservative we can find, and yet when push comes to shove all of these politicians vote for big government every time. :-(


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What the county SHOULD have done is encourage each city and district within the county to promote tourism. This could have been accomplished in many different ways including incentives, promotions, and advertisement,

Instead, lets grow government…as someone needs a job no doubt promised at election time.

STOP the growth of government! If you REALLY want tourists to visit your community, then take the time a effort to make that happen.

God help us.


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Honest to gosh …Why don’t these anti-everything regressives just go ahead and die ?

They don’t want to do a damn thing but take up space and get in the way.


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The birth of another bureaucracy! It will be just like the APCD. Memo to young people, get a job with this agency and you are set for life.


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Your memo shouldn’t be get a job…… it should be become a good friend, family member, close with someone in a position to appoint you to a cushy job. If you tell them, to apply they have to be qualified, likely graduate from college and have some skill set needed for the job they apply for, on the other hand if they just cozy up to the right person they get the job no questions ask…… much easier


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The memo is this: get the heck out of this place and go somewhere with real jobs and things to do. The best and brightest have gotten it. The rest, well the choice will be between the Government or the hospitality industry.


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Wasn’t there a Ballot Proposition about not implementing any new taxes, fees, or such without getting a vote from the people being screwed… I mean, taxed? Was that only for the State?


Sounds like now is a GREAT time to put forth a County “Measure” to reign in this out-of-control government mini-fiefdom.


…and we were told the Tea Party were the crazies… guess I now know why.


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The hotel people are behind this tax. They’re screwing the little guys who aren’t for it. That’s how American democracy works — those with the most get what they want, the rest not so much.


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What a bunch of stupid ass supervisors. Just keep creating a bigger government you friggin commies.


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You imaginary capitalists and temporarily embarrassed millionaires in waiting are hilarious !


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Money, money, money, monyeee….


Bet Dee Torres will be the CEO of VSLOC.


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And she’ll promote housing the homeless as tourists.


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The politicians can get more cushy jobs for their girl friends, relatives, and political lackeys.


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I hope you are wrong but would not be surprised at all if you are right.


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You are witnessing in real time the growth of a bureaucracy. Can you imagine how ineffective, inefficient, and costly this added layer of government will be?

Unbelievable.


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There are already smaller entities — both government approved and private associations — that already do this. SLO, PB and AG have downtown/business associations which promote tourism among other things. These are funded by businesses within the district if I understand correctly. (Other cities may too — I just don’t know.) There are also the various Chamber of Commerce Branches all over the county voluntarily supported by businesses.


It may well pay enough in increased business to justify the fees since it is so widespread but I would like to know what the county expects to do beyond what is already done to generate enough income to cover the operational expenses.


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