Alameda leaders are seeking voter support to increase the city’s hotel tax from 10% to 14%.
Voters should approve Measure F on the Nov. 8 ballot but should not expect that it will significantly improve the municipal budget. The increase would raise $700,000 to $910,000, at best 0.7% of the city’s general fund revenues. The five-year budget forecast shows reserves slowly being whittled down, and the hotel tax increase could help slow that.
The increase would place Alameda’s tax on stays at hotels, motels and short-term rentals such as Airbnb near the top in the state. But the city’s most immediate neighbors, Oakland and San Leandro, already charge 14%.
For city officials, this raises revenues without hurting residents. It probably will have little impact on hotel visits.
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