City Residents To Decide Hotel-Motel Tax Increase
Oskaloosa, Iowa – The residents of Oskaloosa will head to the polls on March 2nd to decide if an increase in the Hotel-Motel tax is something they want.
Currently, the Hotel-Motel tax rate in Oskaloosa is 5%. Including Oskaloosa, that makes fifteen communities across the state with that rate.
In comparison, the Iowa Department of Revenue says in total 168 cities charge a hotel-motel tax.
There is one community charging 6%, 15 charging 5%, and one community charging 4% hotel-motel tax. The majority of communities in Iowa, or 151 of them, charge the 7% rate.
The call for a special election on the matter was set forward by the Oskaloosa City Council and will only impact hotels and motels within the city limits of Oskaloosa.
Oskaloosa City Manager Michael Schrock said the increase would help provide funding and could help provide quality of life improvements, tourism, and recruitment visits.
“Increasing the rate by 2% would generate additional funds that could be allocated for the promotion and encouragement of tourist and convention business in Oskaloosa and surrounding areas. It could also be utilized to address community projects such as an alley improvement program, downtown streetscape enhancements, entertainment space recruitment and development, parking lot improvements for downtown, or live music and entertainment.”
Currently, Oskaloosa collects a 5% tax on hotels and motels, and voters wanted that money to be used for Mahaska Community Recreation Foundation or MCRF.
In a typical year, that tax generates approximately $100,000 to help the MCRF provide the services it does.
If Oskaloosa voters approve the additional 2% tax, it will generate approximately $40,000 in a typical year.
If Oskaloosa voters approve the measure, the city would start collecting the new tax on July 1st, 2021.
The voting place for the March 2nd, 2021, Oskaloosa Special Election:
All Oskaloosa residents will vote at Mahaska County Agricultural Extension Building, 212 North I Street, Oskaloosa, with polling from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
To check voter registration status or to register to vote: https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/voterinformation/
Absentee voting:
An absentee ballot request form must be completed by each voter.
Last day to request an absentee ballot to be mailed – Friday, February 19th, 5:00 p.m.
Last day to return voted absentee ballots in-person – Tuesday, March 2nd, 8:00 p.m.
The last day to return voted absentee ballots by mail – Monday, March 1st – MUST
HAVE A MARCH 1ST, 2021, POSTMARK TO BE COUNTED and received in Auditor’s Office by noon Monday, March 8th
Last day to vote absentee in-person – Monday, March 1st, before 5:00 p.m. at Mahaska County Auditor’s Office
In-person voting: Contact Mahaska County Auditor’s Office at 641.673.7148 when absentee voting begins
