By Betsy Finklea
LATTA—The Latta Town Council passed two resolutions at their meeting on Thursday to implement a two percent hospitality tax and a three percent accommodations tax that they had passed by ordinance in 2008, but had delayed implementing.
The entire council voted to pass the resolution to implement the accommodations tax, but Councilman O.C. “Corky” Lane was the lone vote against the resolution to implement the hospitality tax on prepared meals and beverages.
The Herald is told that the taxes combined is conservatively estimated to generate approximately $35,000. Nine businesses will be affected by the hospitality tax, and three businesses will be affected by the accommodations tax.
Mayor Nancy Brigman commented that these funds could have been used as a match for the streetscape project to encourage tourism in the Town of Latta.
Mike Griffey of Abingdon Manor said that he realizes the town is always looking for money and so is he, but that the council may not realize how difficult it was to sell Latta. He said this will add about $10 to their average bill so customers will be paying about $35 in state and local taxes when they come to Latta. He told the council they made his job a a lot harder, and he felt it was unfair to single out a small group of businesses.
He said he feels the taxes will have unintended consequences.
Griffey said most of his customers are people who travel to Latta to eat. He said he did not get much community support.
Brigman said she always is talking up Abingdon Manor.
She said they had postponed this as long as they could.
Griffey said he was disappointed. He said when the cost of gas and the new tax, he wonders how many people are going to come from Florence and other areas to dinner.
Brigman said she thought his customers can afford it.
When asked for a remark by The Herald, Griffey said, “How the Town Council doesn’t understand how hard it is to attract visitors to Latta already and with increased gas prices, this tax increase will make it that much harder. While we understand the need for local government to try to find new sources of revenue, it seems unfair to place the burden on one class of business and not spread the sacrifice across all, even if the law is on the books. While the council seems to think we can simply pass this tax onto the visitor, it will have a major impact on our business which is facing significant cost increases in all commodities, food costs, transportation, insurance, utilities and labor costs, squeezing our profit margins to the limit.”
The Herald checked and the cities of Marion, Mullins, Florence, and Darlington impose a hospitality tax, but no accommodations tax. The cities of Dillon and Bennettsville impose both.