Now that other municipalities in the area have increased the hotel-motel tax to eight-percent, elected officials in the Town of Braselton are looking to do the same thing.
A resolution to boost the tax from five- to eight-percent is part of the Braselton Town Council's agenda for Monday, Feb. 10.
Town Manager Jennifer Scott said the Braselton Visitors Bureau Authority, which collects the hotel-motel tax, has been studying a possible increase the past couple of years.
"We didn't want to put our hotels at any kind of disadvantage when they're trying to get conferences, but now that everyone in our area has either gone to eight-percent - or they're looking to go to eight-percent - it seemed like competition wouldn't be an issue," Scott said.
Scott said the decision to pursue the higher tax was part of a tourism game plan that resulted from a 2019 visit from a Georgia State Tourism Resource Team.
"They put together a complete plan of recommendations on how to increase our tourism products, on how to make the visitor experience better," Scott said. The additional monies from the higher tax would allow Braselton to implement the tourism plan set forth by the team.
If members of Town Council approve the resolution as presented, the Georgia State Legislature would have to sign off on the measure before hotels could begin collecting the higher tax.
Currently, seven hotels operate in Braselton, but Scott said at least one developer has plans for more lodging in the city limits; plus, there's plenty of room for growth.
"We are definitely growing. We have two exits off I-85 halfway between Atlanta and South Carolina," Scott said.
The Braselton Town Council will vote on the resolution Monday at 7 p.m. The Mayor and Council meet at the Police and Municipal Building at 5040 Highway 53.
