Bel Air Officials Monitor Hotel Tax Issue

Bel Air officials want to make sure the town holds an equal share in revenue if the Maryland General Assembly passes enabling legislation for a  in Harford County.

At the town work session on Tuesday, Commissioner David Carey expressed concern about splitting the hotel tax revenue among the county's three municipalities. If the state delegation passes enabling legislation then municipalities in Harford County can levy a tax.

"How does it provide for the tax revenue to come back to the municipalities?" Carey asked.

Trish Heidenreich, the Bel Air director of economic development, said while early discussions involved splitting revenue on a case-by-case basis, that is no longer the case.

Heidenreich said that the current plan is for hotel tax revenue to go 100 percent to the county. It would then be divided equally among municipalities at the discretion of the county tourism office.

“That, I believe, is the latest of their proposals,” said Heidenreich, adding that an unequal split would be complicated.

Carey and town Administrator Chris Schehr agreed. They said Bel Air may not have hotels but many town events such as the  drive hotel business in the area.

"I think obviously we should support it, and we’ve already written our support, but I think that’s something we should keep an eye on," Carey said.

Carey referenced issues between the town of Perryville and Cecil County over division of casino revenue from and said it's important to be sure Bel Air is clearly included in hotel tax revenue division.

Harford is the only Maryland county that does not have a hotel tax, which is a fee attached each time someone pays for a room.

The revenue from a hotel tax would go toward tourism promotion and project grants.

Along with Bel Air's mayor Edward Hopkins, Aberdeen Mayor Michael Bennett and Havre de Grace Mayor Wayne Dougherty said they support a hotel tax at the Quarterly Elected Officials meeting on Dec. 2.