Jefferson City supports Columbia push for hotel tax increase

Jefferson City Mayor Carrie Tergin attended Wednesday’s Airport Advisory Board meeting to officially declare support for the city of Columbia’s ballot issue to increase the hotel tax from 4 to 5 percent.

According to city leaders, the one percent increase will be used to fund improvements to the airport’s aging and out-of-date terminal.

“I reached out to the mayor of Jefferson City and said ‘we need to be working together on transportation policy – our citizens both use the Highway 63 corridor – and economic development projects that not only want to move for what Columbia has to offer but for the opportunities that Jefferson City has as well,” said Columbia Mayor Brian Treece.

Treece and Tergin said the airport is an economic driver that will benefit both cities.

“We’re happy to have these conversations now and Jefferson City is definitely a partner,” said Tergin. “We are committed to the growth of the airport. We need to upgrade and see the improvements.”

Jefferson City participated financially in 2013 in an air service revenue guarantee with Columbia when an additional American Airline flight was added and recently Tergin wrote a letter of support to the FAA on behalf of Columbia’s expansion project.

She said there’s no firm decision on whether Jefferson City will financially support the new terminal, but it’s not off the table.

A representative of the Foundation for Columbia’s Future, a group of volunteers advocating for the new airport terminal, also attended Wednesday’s meeting.

She spoke on behalf of the committee and its support of the tax.

“The terminal is half the size of FAA standards, and it certainly cannot meet the need for increased passengers,” she said. “There is a particular plan, a criteria to get funding from the FAA, and that is what is being followed.”

Glyn Laverick, owner of the Tiger Hotel and president of the Columbia Hospitality Association – which does not support the tax – also spoke, once again questioning the city’s transparency about how the money will be spent for the terminal.

He said the ballot language for the issue, Proposition One, is vague and doesn’t specify that the money will be used only for the airport terminal.

“We want people to have a plan, and we’re looking for clear language that lays that out – not smoke and mirrors, that’s not definitive,” Laverick said. “This is black and white. What are you going to spend it on, how can we be assured you’re not going to use it as a general fund?”

Tergin said the council will present an official resolution of support for the terminal expansion and the hotel tax issue at its next meeting.

The Airport Advisory Board will not take a stance on the tax, under advice from its legal counsel.