E-Help 05/30/2007

INCLUDES:
Hotel Motel Tax (Clinton)
Absenteeism Policy (Granite City)


HOTEL/ MOTEL TAX
I would like to see what other communities use the hotel/motel tax money for.  Our committee that oversees the money has been having some disagreements on how to spend it.  Some feel it should just all go to advertising, others feel it should be used to try to bring new events to town that create overnight stays.  Some feel it can be used on any event even if it doesn’t directly create an overnight stay, because they might come back to stay in the future.  Our city attorney has written the Illinois Attorney General’s office twice asking for an opinion and have not received a response.  I would just like to see if anyone else has gone through this or has any input on how they spend their money.

Please email Clint Lichtenwalter at lichtenwalter@clintonillinois.com with any responses.
Thanks,
Clint Lichtenwalter
Treasurer
City of Clinton
lichtenwalter@clintonillinois.com

RESPONSE:
Are you home rule or not? If home rule, that revenue can go into the general pot. If not, those funds are restricted per state statute. Your attorney should be able to "make a judgement call" and later, if challenged, throw it back at the AG for not responding to his/her request! OR, contact another non home rule community that has gotten legal advise from their counsel on the use of that money.

If you tie the use of these funds to "stays" at hotel(s) try to get "before" and "after" data so you can actually point to reliable data saying the money is "working". Otherwise who really knows if the "events" , advertising is working.

Stan Roelker
Lincolnshire
Finance Director
Village of Lincolnshire

Gurnee contributes 20% of our hotel tax to the Lake County Convention Bureau, and the rest goes into the General Fund for governmental operations.  I believe state law used to require that all hotel tax went toward tourism, but I think that has since been struck down for home rule communities.

Tina M.Smigielski, C.P.A.
Director of Finance
Village of Gurnee

ABSENTEEISM POLICY
I am looking for an absenteeism policy.  Thanks in advance!
Gail Valle
gvalle@granitecity.illinois.gov