Metropolis of Laurel looking for a 1-cent tax on motels solely

LAUREL, Ms. (WDAM) – City officials with Laurel are keeping a close eye on a bill making its way through the state legislature.

Senate Bill 2155 would allow Laurel residents to vote on setting a 1-cent tax on hotels only.

Laurel already has a 2-cent tax on restaurant meals and for hotel rooms which, according to Mayor Johnny Magee, the city collected about $2 million from last year.

However, Magee said the city wishes to generate additional money which will go towards developing a welcome center and to the city’s tourism outreach efforts.

The bill passed the Senate on Tuesday by a wide margin and now moves to the House for more debate. It’s one of several bills allowing communities to vote on tourism taxes to fund many types of programs.

Laurel has seen a large number of visitors streaming into the city over the past several years thanks in part to HGTV’s hit series, “Home Town.” The show follows locals Erin and Ben Napier as they revamp homes and businesses throughout Laurel. They’ve even opened their own flagship store, the Laurel Mercantile Co. and Scotsman Co.

Magee, never one to be satisfied with what’s already been achieved, is looking to the future and that’s why he’s keeping a close eye on Senate Bill 2155.

He’s hoping the bill will pass in its current form allowing for the 1-cent tax on hotels plus an additional $1 dollar per room increase.

“It’s very important because we need tourism in Laurel,” Magee said. “We need to be able to advance the city and this is a way that we can finance trying to bring other people into the city,”

“’Home Town’ is great, but we still need some extra funds coming into the city to draw more people here,” he added.

The hit series isn’t the only attraction in Laurel. The city holds several large events throughout the year, including the Dixie Youth World Series which draws nearly 20,000 visitors to the city and boasts some of the best ball fields in the state.

Another key attraction includes the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, the state’s oldest art museum.

Once a hidden gem, the museum has seen the number of visitors coming through its doors increase dramatically over the years. Lauren Rogers Museum of Art includes American art, European paintings, Native American baskets, Japanese Ukiyo-e prints and British Georgian silver. There are also seasonal walking tours of Laurel’s Historic District which are provided for free by the museum.

In 2018, Country Living named Laurel as one of the 10 best small towns in the US

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