BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) \u2014 During its meeting Tuesday morning, the Kern County Board of Supervisors approved taking preliminary steps for a potential hotel tax measure that could be placed on the November ballot.<\/p>\n
Kern County\u2019s transient occupancy tax<\/a> is paid by visitors staying at any lodging facility \u2014 such as hotels, motels or short-term rental properties \u2014 for 30 days or less in unincorporated Kern.<\/p>\n Watch \u2018After Sunrise\u2019 on KGET+; Click to learn how to get KGET+ on your smart TV devices <\/a><\/p>\n As of last week, unincorporated Kern County had 87 hotel and motel certificates and 639 short-term vacation rental certificates, Deputy County Administrative Officer Jason Wiebe said during his presentation on Tuesday.<\/p>\n Kern County\u2019s TOT rate is 6%, which is lower than the averages for statewide counties, San Joaquin Valley counties and Kern County cities.<\/p>\n According to Wiebe, TOT revenue is one of the county\u2019s few sources of unrestricted funding. It\u2019s used to fund county services including public safety, law enforcement, animal services, library services, economic development, parks and more.<\/p>\n Last year, Kern County\u2019s TOT revenue was $3.8 million.<\/p>\n If the county\u2019s TOT rate was the same as the city of Bakersfield\u2019s \u2014 12% \u2014 the county would get nearly $4 million additional revenue per year as there is generally a direct correlation between the percentage increase and percentage collected, Wiebe said.<\/p>\n Wiebe said the tax increase would not have much impact on Kern\u2019s tourism in general, although individual businesses could be affected depending on factors like location or competition.<\/p>\n District 4 Supervisor David Couch warned the last time a measure to increase the TOT rate was presented to voters, some people voted against it as they thought it was taxing the homeless population.<\/p>\n Couch also mentioned the county\u2019s agreement with the Hard Rock Casino Tejon \u2014 which is set to open a hotel in the future \u2014 spells out an in-lieu tax for TOT.<\/p>\n According to the agreement between the Tejon Tribe and Kern County signed in 2019, the Tribe doesn\u2019t pay Kern County taxes like other businesses or residents do. Instead, the Tribe makes payments in lieu of taxes to reimburse the county for essential services like fire, sheriff, public health and more.<\/p>\n The agreement says following the opening of a hotel on its property, the Tribe has to pay the county a 6% fee of the revenue for occupied hotel rooms. This functions similarly to a TOT, according to Kern County spokesperson Erin Briscoe.<\/p>\n Couch asked staff to consider how the TOT rate increase would impact that if it were to get voter approval.<\/p>\n County Counsel is still evaluating this and will inform the Board once it has an answer, Briscoe said.<\/p>\n