What's happening
This bill increases the maximum hotel and motel tax rate in Essex County, New York, from three to five percent.
Why it matters
Increased tax revenue could support local services or tourism promotion. By raising the hotel and motel tax cap from 3% to 5%, Essex County may have more funds to invest in infrastructure, tourism-related initiatives, or other county services that benefit residents and visitors.
Potential impact on local tourism and hospitality industry. Higher taxes on hotel stays could make Essex County slightly less attractive to price-sensitive visitors, potentially affecting occupancy rates, especially in a region dependent on tourism like the Adirondacks.
No change for long-term guests. The exemption for "permanent residents" (those staying 30+ consecutive days) remains, so the tax hike will primarily affect short-term travelers, not long-term renters or workers temporarily housed in hotels.
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Who cares
Essex County officials
The bill would raise the maximum authorized hotel and motel tax rate from 3% to 5% of the daily room rental rate.
Essex County hotel and motel operators
Their room rentals could be subject to a higher county tax beginning January 1, 2020.
Short-term hotel and motel guests
They could face a county room tax of up to 5% rather than 3%.
Long-term hotel and motel residents
People occupying rooms for at least 30 consecutive days would remain exempt from the tax.
Headline styles
Raise Essex Hotel Taxes
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Signed chap.700
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to assembly
- Passed senateVote 46–16
- 3rd reading cal.1511
- Substituted for S5451
- Referred to rules
- Delivered to senate
- Passed assembly
- Home rule request
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.168
- Rules report cal.168
Show 3 earlier actions
- Reported
- Reported referred to rules
- Referred to ways and means
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Raise Essex Hotel Tax
Senate Floor Calendar · Sponsor Betty Little
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
7450
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
May 3, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. STEC -- read once and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
AN ACT to amend the tax law, in relation to increasing hotel and motel taxes in the county of Essex
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The closing paragraph of subdivision 1 of section 1202-s of the tax law, as added by section 1 of part T of chapter 406 of the laws of 1999, is amended to read as follows:
The rates of such tax shall not exceed [three] five percent of the per diem rental rate for each room, provided however, that such tax shall not be applicable to a permanent resident of a hotel or motel. For the purposes of this section the term "permanent resident" shall mean a person occupying any room or rooms in a hotel or motel for at least thirty consecutive days.
§ 2. This act shall take effect January 1, 2020.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11371-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.