Columbus Lowndes CVB Back at 2% Restaurant Tax Renewal Talks

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The Columbus-Lowndes CVB is back with a proposal to revive the 2% restaurant tax.

A meeting Monday evening brought some issues to light and resulted in some compromises.

The 2% restaurant tax is set to die on July 1, putting the CVB’s finances in jeopardy.

With no prospects to save it this year, Area leaders and the CVB scramble to find some type of public solution to try to revive it again next year.

The meeting was said to be a sort of celebration, but for some leaders it’s pouring salt on a wound that hasn’t healed.

“We were sent to Jackson with the council approving it 5-0, with the supervisors approving it 5-0, and it was set,” said District 17 Senator, Chuck Younger. “And it should’ve passed with no question.”

That didn’t happen.

An amended version was killed by lawmakers.

Younger says there isn’t any hope of the CVB’s latest plan going into a special session.

“That’s up to the Governor, but I don’t believe the governor will open up that can of worms, so to speak,” Younger said, “because everybody else, senators or representatives, will want to enter a local-private agreement on, you know… they’ll want to do something for their local cities or counties.”

The new CVB proposal, that most likely will go to the state Capitol in the next legislative session, calls for a minimum of $100,000 in food and drink sales before a restaurant can collect the two percent tax.

Local leaders hope having a gentleman’s agreement this early, will prevent any disagreements when lawmakers meet in January.

“It’s very important,” said Columbus Ward 5 Councilman, Stephen Jones. “It’s very important that we get it worked out. That’s a lot of money at stake, you know, a lot of things that are being done with that money. You know, you’re bringing tourism to the area, and of course the more tourism we get brought to the area the more money it generates.”

The city council and board of supervisors still need to approve the resolution before it is considered by the legislature.