Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly members will consider creating a working group to study how tourists can better pay for borough services they use while visiting the Kenai Peninsula.
The proposal comes from Borough Mayor Peter Micciche and assembly member Kelly Cooper. It’s a partial response to consideration of a boroughwide lodging tax this summer.
The ordinance would have put the issue before voters. The proposal was for a 12% tax on short-term lodging and overnight camping accommodations. But the ordinance never got off the ground. Assembly members delayed action indefinitely after passionate testimony in opposition from the hospitality industry.
One concern lobbed by industry stakeholders was about timing. Several people asked the assembly to delay talks until after the summer tourism season. In a memo, Micciche and Cooper say they hope the working group will be collaborative.
If approved, members would study how tourism impacts borough revenue, costs and services. They’d also identify ways the borough can ensure tourists pay their fair share for the services they use. The work would culminate in a final written report to the assembly.
Per the resolution, the group would have seven members. They would include industry representatives, community members, two assembly members and the mayor. The group would be required to conclude next spring.
The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly will meet Tuesday.
