Devyn Keith, who is the city council president, has proposed increasing the tax rate for city lodgings by 10%. The lodging tax is applied per room to those who are staying in motels, hotels, inns and tourist cabins. Keith’s proposal would also include an extra $2 charged per room.
Mockups for what the final development will look like are often put together using graphic design. The current plan for funding the amphitheater involves taking out loans that would be paid back using capital funds. Devyn Keith wants the city to be able to save some of those funds. At a city council, he said that:
“I want to pave streets. I want to make direct infrastructure investments. I want to see greenways, I want to see lights, I want to see the things people in my community enjoy.”
During that same city council meeting, the president of the Hunstville-Madison CVB took to the stand. She stated that the tax increase would be a bad idea because it would be difficult for Huntsville to compete with other cities that host trade shows and business conferences. When she finished speaking, she asked all of those who opposed the tax increase to stand up, and most of the council chambers took to their feet.