Word came to the city late Wednesday from Representative Nolan Mettetal that House Bill 1587 passed the House of Representatives with a 101-12 vote and is now awaiting Senate action. The bill would extend the city’s tourism tax — three percent on prepared food, beverage and lodging — beyond its original 2017 sunset provision.
That sunset date has been on the minds of Batesville city leaders for several years, prompting them last year to agree to pay a lobbyist up to $30,000 to assist with its passage. Their decision appears to have been well-grounded during this legislative session where the bill’s survival in the anti-tax environment that presently prevails in the legislature has never been a foregone conclusion.
Not only does the city need the bill passed, it needs to extend the tax through 2023 — at least the six years until the bonds that financed construction of the Batesville Civic Center are paid off.
Failure to extend the tourism tax (or to extend it for less than six years) will just shift the burden to other taxpayers — City of Batesville ad valorem tax payers, mainly — to pay off the balance remaining on the Civic Center bonds.
The tourism tax is much fairer, collected as it is from people throughout the Panola trade area who eat and drink in our restaurants and from visitors — most of whom at some time during the year enjoy use of the Civic Center.
We urge the Mississippi Senate — especially our Senators Lydia Chassaniol, Robert Jackson and Gray Tollison — to see that this tax is extended at least six more years.