Lodger's tax good example of unfair taxation

Travis Tritt is coming to Clovis and it’s going to be great, right?

He’s a member of a “Country Club,” you know, and if “The Whiskey Ain’t Workin’” he can run into “T-R-O-U-B-L-E.”

A lot of us love his music and it’s great to see our little community attracting Grammy Award-winning entertainers.

It’s too bad government is involved.

Clovis’ city commission on Thursday approved $10,000 in lodger’s tax funds to help promote the Tritt concert, which is scheduled Jan. 13 at the Curry County Events Center.

Spectra Presents, a private company, made the decision to book Tritt. It will receive the tax dollars to promote the concert. Spectra officials said they hope to attract 1,500 people by advertising in Texas, New Mexico and online.

That’s $10,000 in hopes of attracting 1,500 people, most of whom will not stay overnight in Clovis hotels because they already live around here.

City commissioners approved the plan unanimously, without bothering to seek approval from the lodger’s tax advisory board, which usually recommends how the money should be spent.

The advisory committee doesn’t meet again until Jan. 3, which would be too late to start the promotion process, and board chair Don David spoke in favor of the award at Thursday’s meeting. The advisory committee likely would have approved the request anyway, based on its approval of promoting a similar concert for Gary Allan earlier this month.

But here’s the thing: A private company is hoping to profit by bringing Tritt to town — fantastic, but why is government helping?

Does the city commission help fund local owners of grocery stores, hardware stores and pet stores who want to make a profit?

Nope. It only supplements select groups, those it declares “create jobs” or “improve quality of life.”

That’s because ... government knows so much about the economy and fun?

The lodger’s tax has been around for decades. But that doesn’t make it right.

Where in the Constitution or the city charter or anywhere does it say government is supposed to provide entertainment?

We have no problem with the hotel-motel industry getting together, pooling its money and spending it on promotional events likely to increase its business. It can spend its money any way it wants.

But that’s not exactly how this process works.

The lodger’s tax — make no mistake, it is a tax, not a volunteer contribution — generates about $700,000 per year for the city of Clovis.

Sixty percent of that money goes into the city’s general fund or is used to offset losses or make improvements to the city-owned Civic Center.

That leaves about $280,000 annually to spend on things the lodger’s tax advisory board (actually the city commission always has final say) thinks will bring tourists into town.

Hotel rooms in Clovis cost 5 percent more than they would otherwise because of this tax. But, of course, most people don’t really care because that money comes from people who don’t live here.

Also, most of us don’t own hotels and motels so we don’t have to pay anyway.

Restaurant owners really like it because they get the benefit of visitors without having to help fund the visits — lodger’s tax comes strictly from hotel/motel occupancy rates.

Bottom line in this case: Government is taking money from hotel/motel owners, and giving it to a private concert promoter. It hopes the “investment” will also benefit a few small businesses in town, mostly restaurants, three of which are owned by city commissioners.

Some say that’s fine: We elected the commissioners, we approved the tax, and majority rules.

Some of the rest of us wonder about the ethics of government redistributing individuals’ money for an alleged greater good.

Spell it T-R-O-U-B-L-E.