Vermilion Against Cutting Hotel Tax

The Vermilion Parish Police Jury has voted unanimously to oppose a measure by the Tourist Commission to do away with a 2 percent hotel tax to support youth athletics. Director of Tourism Alison Miller urged jurors yesterday to support lowering the parish hotel/motel tax to levels of neighboring communities, especially New Iberia and Lafayette.

Miller says the 2 percent tax was passed in 2005 to help fund youth athletics, but because of faulty wording, much of the money collected has not been distributed. Miller says hotels and motels are suffering because workers coming into town for business are going to surrounding communities for cheaper room rates.