Bill to Help Promote Montgomery County Passes

Montgomery County has a tremendous number of events and amenities, and the bill we passed today will enhance our ability to share these with residents and visitors alike.

Bill 36-12 will provide increased funding to promote the County as a good place for business travelers, for tourists to stay while they enjoy the Capital Region and for visitors and residents right here within the County.

The bill will increase the amount of the hotel/motel tax collected by the County and directed to the County’s Conference and Visitors Bureau from 3.5 to 7 percent.
I was the chief sponsor of the legislation.

Our tourism industry is one of the largest voices for promoting economic development in Montgomery County. By increasing the amount of money the Conference and Visitors Bureau receives from the hotel/motel tax, we are giving it the funding to be a bigger player in the region.

During public testimony about the bill, we learned that Montgomery County spends less overall on promotions than all neighboring jurisdictions other than Arlington County in Virginia. Assuming the hotel/motel tax revenues stay consistent with recent years’ collections, the bill will provide approximately $630,000 additional for the CVB.

In looking ahead, we must be ready to more aggressively compete for tourism and conventions with Prince George’s County and other Maryland jurisdictions that have, or will have, casinos.