The growth of short-term rental activity in the city and a possible saturation of the local hotel market are seen as the biggest causes behind a flattening of Austin’s once fast-growing Hotel Occupancy Tax revenue. That was the conclusion at this week’s meeting of the Tourism Commission, where how to best use the roughly $100 […]
Hotel Occupancy Tax
A tax on the rental of a room in a hotel or other rental properties (including apartments) that cost 6 percent of the cost of a room.
Posted inAustin
UT study at center of debate on tourism, hotel tax and expansion proposal
A forthcoming report from a group of University of Texas architectural students may be the next significant piece of research shaping the ongoing debate over how the city uses its Hotel Occupancy Tax funds. That study – commissioned last year for the UT School of Architecture’s Center for Sustainable Development – was directed to look […]
Posted inAustin
Tourism Commission pushes for broader use of hotel tax dollars
Austin’s Tourism Commission wants to see the city push for more latitude in how to spend local hotel occupancy tax dollars, with an eye toward next year’s session of the state Legislature. At Monday’s meeting, the commission approved a recommendation for City Council to amend the city’s legislative agenda for the 2019 session to advocate […]
Posted inAustin
Debate over convention center, hotel tax funds spreads to Music Commission
A recently created music activism group has been thrown into the fray of the debate – largely playing out in meetings of the new Tourism Commission – over how to spend money the city generates through its roughly $100 million portion of the Hotel Occupancy Tax, and the larger issue of possibly expanding the Austin […]
Posted inAustin
Cuts to arts groups brings call for changes to funding mechanism
Local arts groups facing dramatic cuts in their funding levels from the city could get some relief this budget year, and possibly an earlier heads-up in future budget years if their funding allocations appear headed for a decrease. The city’s Arts Commission voted 9-0 at Monday’s meeting to reconvene a working group focused on the […]
Posted inPreservation
Council approves preservation projects with $5.5M from hotel tax
More than a dozen projects related to the preservation of Austin’s historic buildings will move ahead, with more to follow in coming budget years, using money from the city’s portion of its Hotel Occupancy Tax. Last month City Council approved a budget transfer of $5.5 million to the city’s historic preservation fund to pay for […]
Posted inPreservation
Which historic sites should be covered by hotel occupancy taxes?
Last year, City Council voted to reallocate millions of dollars from the Austin Convention Center and Visit Austin (formerly the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau) to historic preservation efforts. Now, it’s up to Council to decide what projects will benefit from those newly available funds. The money all comes from the 9 percent tax that […]
Posted inCity Council
Council commissions study of convention center expansion
Researchers at the University of Texas are going to ask the question that seems to be on every Austinite’s mind these days: “Can new, programmatic spatial configurations and economic models for urban convention centers be applied to downtown Austin in a meaningful and community-based manner?” That’s the prime mystery a study commissioned by City Council […]
Posted inCity Council
Memo outlines ‘downtown puzzle’ progress headed into 2018
Work on Mayor Steve Adler’s “downtown puzzle” policies package will be almost certainly put on hold until the spring when newly hired city manager Spencer Cronk will be able to study and work on how to execute the proposal. That was the word from Adler on Wednesday, following a Friday memo from Assistant City Manager […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Stadium proposal renews talk of hotel taxes for Expo Center revamp
Travis County officials appear ready to push for some of Austin’s growing pool of Hotel Occupancy Tax money to be used to pay for an ambitious expansion of the Travis County Exposition Center site, which is also where a group of local sports businesspeople want to build an open-air stadium and an arena. The announcement […]
Posted inAustin
Clarke Hammond passes away at 66
Clarke Hammond, 66, a larger-than-life figure in the Austin community, died Saturday following liver surgery. His friend, former Mayor Lee Leffingwell, described Hammond as a man “who lived life large. He probably crammed more life into 50 years than most people do in 80.” “He did my very first fundraiser with a keg of beer,” […]
Posted inAustin
Vote moves ‘downtown puzzle’ forward, with amendments aplenty
City Council voted Thursday to move forward with the “downtown puzzle,” a package of possible tax increases and assessment mechanisms seen as a way to fund a variety of public works projects and other community needs. The 10-0 vote – Council Member Ellen Troxclair was absent – directs city staff to begin gathering information on […]