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3 <br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF INCREASING THE ORANGE COUNTY HOTEL <br />OCCUPANCY TAX <br />WHEREAS, tourism is the number one industry in the southeast and the second largest industry in the <br />state of North Carolina; and <br />WHEREAS, according to NG Department of Commerce, tourism revenue in our county has increased <br />from $67 million in 1992 to $137 million in 2006; and <br />WHEREAS, a National Chamber of Commerce study compared the relationship between 100 <br />manufacturing jobs to a community and 100 tourists and found that tourism produces significant <br />revenues and is a clean industry because it requires little infrastructure, water or sewer and is a clean, <br />non-polluting, non-consumptive industry; and <br />WHEREAS, the Orange County region has seen a steady increase in hotels and now is home to more <br />than 1,400 hotel rooms; 60,000 square feet of meeting space; 300 restaurants and 21 sightseeing <br />venues and points of interest; and <br />WHEREAS, marketing to the tourist and leisure traveler; selling our community to the conference, <br />sporting and special event community; and servicing the leisure travelers and conference attendees has <br />shown to provide a strong return on investment for our tax base and sales and occupancy tax revenues, <br />while employing more than 1,700 residents; and <br />WHEREAS, increased funding through a 1% occupancy tax. increase will provide an opportunity for <br />marketing initiatives that will increase tourism and hotel and ancillary spending in our county; and <br />WHEREAS, Orange County is being significantly outspent by competing tourism agencies in <br />surrounding and regional counties and the addition.of new hotels in the Triangle has begun to erode <br />occupancy and revenues for Orange County properties; and <br />WHEREAS, the funding of the Visitors Bureau does not impact property owners but is funded <br />through a tax collected at hotels from visitors; and <br />WHEREAS, Orange County hoteliers have lent their support to this I% occupancy tax increase; and <br />WHEREAS, Senate Bill 622, Chapter 392, of the 1991 Session laws makes provisions for the Orange <br />County Board of Commissioners, by resolution, to levy a room occupancy tax of up to three percent <br />(3%) on any accommodation in the County; <br />NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Orange County Board of Commissioners <br />strongly endorses a 1% increase to the Orange County Hotel Occupancy tax , bringing the tax up to <br />three percent (3%) on the gross receipts derived from the rental of any room, lodging or similar <br />accommodation in the County. <br />This the 19'h day of February, 2008 <br />Barry Jacobs, Chair <br />Orange County Board of Commissioners