Town not participating in county-wide tourism development authority 

 

COLUMBUS—Although the Town of Columbus is not participating in a county-wide tourism development authority with Polk County, Saluda and Tryon, the town has agreed to write a letter of support.  

Columbus Town Council met Thursday and heard from Town Manager Tim Barth.  

Barth said Columbus is not participating in the new tax district because the town can currently use up to 50 percent of its occupancy tax for any municipal related expense. Columbus received a special bill years ago for its occupancy tax that is different than other towns and allows them to spend up to half of its occupancy tax on expenses other than for travel and tourism. Columbus opted last year not to join the county TDA, while Saluda and Tryon agreed to join.  

The county asked the state last year to create a new tax district, which would charge six percent occupancy tax in the county as well as Saluda and Tryon. The bill last year failed, so the county and towns are resubmitting the request this year.  

“The Town of Columbus is not participating in this new occupancy tax district, because the town currently can use up to 50 percent of our proceeds from the occupancy tax for any municipal related expense,” Barth said. “If the town joined the new district, it would lose the ability to use 50 percent for any municipal purpose.”  

Polk County has asked Columbus to write a letter saying that the town does not object to the county submitting the bill.  

“Since the bill has no effect on the town, I think this is a reasonable request,” Barth told council.  

Barth said before a state representative submits a local bill, they want to know that everyone is in favor of it, or at least that no one objects to the bill.  

Council approved the town writing a letter stating that Columbus does not object to the county submitting the bill.  

Tryon approved re-submitting the bill last week.  

The county and two towns agreed last year to join tourism departments, where the county would be allowed to collect 6 percent occupancy tax in the unincorporated areas of the county as well as in Saluda and Tryon.  

In exchange, the county, Saluda and Tryon approved an inter-local agreement to give the towns 5-percent of each town’s occupancy tax. The towns’ benefit would be collecting 2-percent more in occupancy tax as they currently only collect 3 percent, as well as not having to administer collections of their own tax. If approved, the county will handle all collections of the occupancy tax.   

The county’s benefit will be collecting 6 percent of occupancy tax in the unincorporated areas of the county. Currently the county collects 3 percent occupancy tax in the entire county, including in Saluda and Tryon.