Motel tax starts July 1

McCOOK, Neb. — Beginning in July 1, motel rooms will cost a little more in McCook.

That’s when the 4 percent occupation tax will kick in, per an ordinance the McCook City Council approved unanimously Monday night at the regular council meeting.

There was no discussion on the ordinance, other than City Manager Nate Schneider noting he had not received any comments recently from the public about it, compared to several when it was first revealed.

An occupation tax at 4 percent is expected to generate up to $130,000 that will go into the general fund.

As approved by the council, Ordinance No. 119.01, Occupation Tax, Requirement to pay, states an occupation tax is levied and imposed on every person of business entity who engages in the business of operating a hotel for revenue in the City of McCook, and all hotel companies doing business in the city are required to pay an occupation tax. It requires those engaged in the businesses of operating a hotel in the city will pay an occupation tax of 4 percent per occupied room per night.

According to the ordinance, the term “hotel” includes the term includes hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, tourist hotels, campgrounds, courts, lodging houses inns and non-profit , but does not include hospitals, sanitariums, nursing homes, chronic care center dormitoriess or facilities operated by an education institution and regularly used to house students.

The ordinance also states that it shall be unlawful for any hotel operator to fail to maintain or make available to the city, upon 72 hours notice, written records accurately and completely evidenceing the number of rooms occupied, the dates the rooms are occupied and the amount of occupation tax due or paid. Records are required to be maintained for a period of three years after the occupation tax is due.

The council also approved Monday night all consent agenda items without discussion, including:

* Adopting a resolution that provides free public admission to the McCook Municipal Swimming Pool on June 4, 2018, in coordination with the Bicycle Ride Across Nebraska (BRAN).

* Awarding the bid for the 2018 Armor Coating Project to B & H of Scott City, Kan., in the amount of $3.55 per gallon, being the lowest best bid. Other bids came from: Figgins Construction, Red Cloud, Neb., $3.63/gallon; Topkote, Inc., Yankton, S.D, $3.85/gallon; Sta-Built Construction, Harlan, Iowa, $4.10/gallon

* Adopting a resolution that allows the Nebraska Department of Transportation to act as the City of McCook’s agent with the federal government, regarding a project at McCook Ben Nelson Regional Airport submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration for federal assistance. The $500,000 project, that includes crack and joint sealing, paint marking and concrete panel repair at the airport, will cost the city $50,000, or 10 percent of the project, with the remaining 90 percent paid by the federal Airport Capital Improvement program.