ST. GEORGE — A measure mandating a 0.5 percent increase in room tax for all lodging establishments in Clark County, Nevada, was approved and implemented by the Mesquite City Council Sunday.
The Southern Nevada Tourism Improvements Act was introduced and passed by the Nevada Legislature during its 30th special session in October 2016, approved by the Nevada governor in short order. Among other things, the act mandates the half percentage increase for all hotel and resort properties in Clark County to help fund the $1.6 billion expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The measure included an update to the city’s municipal code and was adopted as Ordinance 509 at the Jan. 10 Mesquite City Council meeting.
Travelers to Mesquite will see their nightly room tax rate go from 12 percent to 12.5 percent.
The city will not benefit directly from the tax increase, but increased traffic as a result of the Las Vegas Convention Center expansion will likely benefit the entire county.
“An indirect benefit could result, certainly. We value our relationship with Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. If they do well, we do well. In that sense, there’s a very real indirect benefit,” Mesquite City Public Information Officer Aaron Baker said.
The tax increase is a temporary measure and is positioned to sunset after debts accrued for the convention center expansion are serviced.
“Once that’s paid off, this is supposed to go away,” Baker said of the tax increase.
In the meantime, every jurisdiction in the county is required to implement the tax.
“Because it’s countywide, the sense is that it isn’t going to impact us,” Baker said. “I don’t see a significant change in visitorship because of this small increase in the room tax rate.”
The legislation calls for an even larger tax increase for cities in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, including a 0.88 percent increase on room tax to help finance a $1.9 billion domed football stadium to house National Football League and college football games.
The burden of that extra 0.88 percent increase will not affect outlying communities like Mesquite.
“In a way, it can play in our favor because it is slightly lower here,” Baker said.
For at least one resort in Mesquite, the small tax increase does not appear to have affected business.
A manager at Virgin River Hotel and Casino said no customers have complained of the increase and client volume does appear to have taken a hit, noting that the average bill only went up by a few cents.
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All everyone has to do is boycott Mesquite and they will remove tax lol
Always sticking it to the traveler; easy money prey, in the eyes of the powers-that-be.
Easy enough to skip their hotels from St. George.
They can eat cake.
First Vegas screwed everyone visiting almost any casino with a $10 parking fee along with the resort fee when staying at the Casinos, so screw them, we’re done ever going or staying there again, and now with this crap starting in Mesquite? We’ll be done there too. Just greed…. pure and simple and look forward to their downfall
Who cares ? I don’t
Most of us really only care about the sales tax levied at Total Wine in LV, or Smith’s in Mesquite, right……..?
no