Back in December, Auburn City Council discussed the possibility of introducing a hotel occupancy tax.
Now, City Council and Assemblyman John Lemondes will hold a public meeting to discuss the city’s request for the Home Rule Legislation that would allow the city to establish the 5% Short-Term Rental Occupancy Tax.
This meeting will take place at Council Chambers on Thursday at 7:00p following the regularly scheduled City Council meeting. The public is invited to attend and will have an opportunity to ask questions and provide comments. The meeting will also be streamed on the city’s website.
The process of establishing the tax on each night’s stay at a hotel, motel, or Air B&B-style rental started in December when Assemblyman Lemondes and State Senator Rachel May were informed of Auburn’s desire to begin the Home Rule Legislation process.
Both Lemondes and May need to introduce a Home Rule Request bill in their respective houses within the legislature, with the city passing a resolution supporting the bills. May has already done so.
If the legislature approves the bills, Governor Kathy Hochul would need to sign the legislation into law. Finally, City Council will have to adopt a local law establishing a hotel occupancy tax.
Back in December, City Clerk Chuck Mason stated that, if the requisite legislation can be passed by November, the tax could take effect on January 1, 2025.
Mason also estimated that a 5% tax could see the city receive an additional $500,000 in revenue annually.
Cayuga County already has a 5% occupancy tax, meaning someone staying at a hotel in Auburn could potentially pay a 10% total occupancy tax.
For more information on the public meeting, you can contact the Office of City Clerk at 315-255-4101 or [email protected].
