City Hospitality Tax: First of Two Readings Passes 5-1

Hoping to grab its share of local tax dollars, Goose Creek City Council is speeding up to pass a 2 percent hospitality tax, which was previously tabled in May.

Goose Creek City Council voted 5-1 for first reading of the proposed 2 percent hospitality tax Thursday during a special meeting.

Final reading is slated for Wednesday, a day after the council's regular meeting on Tuesday. The ordinance was previously tabled in May, and is back on the agenda in special meetings in response to Berkeley County attempting to pass its own hospitality tax. 

Councilwoman Marguerite H. Brown was not present at the meeting, and Councilman Jerry Tekac voted against the ordinance, citing concerns over not having an established, set plan on what the money will go towards. 

The money has been generally slated for driving tourism and recreation in the town. There are components identified, like the community center, but the list has not been firmly established. 

City Council is pushing the ordinance through as fast as possible in response to Berkeley County, Councilman Franklin Moore said.

Berkeley County is trying to pass its own hospitality tax at 1 percent, and if that measure goes through, Goose Creek could only pass a 1 percent hospitality tax, Moore said. Goose Creek is one of the few highly populated municipal areas in the county without a preexisting hospitality tax of 2 percent. The money taken by the county would not go toward Goose Creek initiatives, Moore said.