Folks hitting Fort Worth for a bit of rest and relaxation may soon find their stay a tad pricier. The City Council has slapped an additional 2% hotel occupancy tax onto the May 4 ballot, looking to bankroll some hefty renovation bills. This bump, if given the green light by voters, will crank the total hotel tax to a steep 17% — that's on par with what Houston and Austin travelers are shelling out, according to the City of Fort Worth.
These aren't just any renovations, either. The Fort Worth Convention Center, a beacon for over 300,000 visitors yearly, is desperate for a makeover. The proposed tax hike could pull in a cool $10 million annually, feeding into revenue bonds for the long-overdue facelift, hampered by climbing construction costs and inflation's nasty bite.
City officials are quick to point out that property tax funders can breathe easy — this project won't pick their pockets. State law earmarks the Convention Center as a special "venue" project, which means the renovations will lean totally on the hotel occupancy tax if voters give it the thumbs up. The state's bean counters at the Comptroller’s Office gave their nod to the project, ensuring it won't deal a blow to state coffers.
