EDITORIAL

In November, Costa Mesa voters will decide on a proposed tax increase.

The good news, the residents will not be affected by the tax.

More good news, the funds would be used to buy and preserve land as

parks and open space.

You might ask: when is a tax increase ever good news?

The answer: when it’s a hike in the hotel tax.

The City Council has placed a measure on the November ballot to raise

the city’s Transient Occupancy Tax -- or the hotel tax -- to 8%. Now at

6%, it is low. In fact, it hasn’t been raised in about 20 years, so you

could say an increase is long overdue.

And even at 8%, the levy would be below the county average, making it

unlikely that the tax would render Costa Mesa’s hotels uncompetitive in

the market.

The argument has been raised that raising the bed tax could hurt

tourism -- chasing away potential hotel guests.

But really, when is the last time you checked the hotel tax in a city

before visiting? Most patrons realize that there is a levy involved in

staying at a hotel, but do they change their destinations because of it?

And Mayor Gary Monahan has argued that it is unfair to tax outsiders

to benefit the city’s parks.

Well, who are Costa Mesa residents paying hotel taxes to when they go

on vacation or on business trips? And do they, as taxpayers, get a say in

how those cities use the revenues?

The hotel tax currently generates nearly $4 million for the city each

year. The increase could add more than $1 million annually -- and that

extra cash would be used to buy up plots of precious property before open

space disappears.

And whatever opinions residents might have, they also have in their

hands the power to approve or deny the tax. The measure requires

two-thirds voter approval. That’s good news, too.