Sanger voters will decide this November whether to change the city's hotel-tax rate. Measure B would change the city's lodging-tax rules.
Sanger's Lodging Tax Up for a Vote
The transient occupancy tax applies to hotel and motel stays of 30 days or less, according to Mid Valley Times. The Sanger City Council voted 4-1 on August 6 to place Measure B on the ballot, with council member Esmeralda Hurtado casting the lone dissenting vote, per the same outlet's reporting.
The city's audited financial report covers the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, according to the City of Sanger.
What Counts as Taxable Rent Now
Measure B would amend Sanger's lodging-tax rules.
The hotel tax applies only to the first 30 days of a stay, and guests who remain more than 30 consecutive days at the same location are subject to the tax for just one month.
The Proposed Increase
The proposed measure would change Sanger's lodging-tax rate.
Hotel taxes may be classified as general or special taxes.
Opponents Raise Concerns Over Hosts and Housing-Insecure Residents
Not everyone is on board. Opponents of the tax increase told Mid Valley Times it could negatively affect local hotel owners and housing-insecure Sanger residents who rely on interim lodging. Supporters counter that Measure B would boost the city's overall revenue without raising taxes on most permanent residents, since the tax largely falls on visitors rather than locals.
Part of a Countywide Push
Sanger's measure isn't an isolated move. On the same November ballot, Fresno County voters will consider the county's own Measure A, which would establish a 12% lodging tax in unincorporated areas and is projected to raise $4.5 million annually, according to Mid Valley Times. Unlike Measure B, Measure A would apply only to unincorporated areas outside city limits, not within Sanger itself.
Fresno County is currently one of only three counties in California that does not levy a transient occupancy tax on short-term lodging in its unincorporated areas, according to county officials cited by KVPR. The measures would put lodging-tax proposals before voters in Sanger and Fresno County.
