Chillicothe bed & breakfast owners fear it could hurt their business
Bed & Breakfast ownerships in Chillicothe are expressing concern over an expected proposal that would apply bed taxes to them and cabin rentals, which are currently exempt. That would change under the proposal, which would see B&B's having to add the 7.25% bed tax to customers bills, if approved by the county commissioners.
Dee Shoemaker of Greenhouse Bed & Breakfast, spoke on behalf of the four local businesses when she said this could hurt their small home-operated businesses. She says their average occupancies are only 25% and much of their business comes from non-profit groups to begin with, which are exempt from paying taxes.
Melody Young, executive director of Ross Convention & Visitors Bureau, says their services, which are paid for by the tax can be an even bigger help to the small businesses through advertising and other services.
She added that non-profit groups, which Shoemaker says they see allot of business from, would still be exempt from having to pay the bed tax.
The tax, which currently applies to only motels and hotels, charges the paying customer 7.25%. The proposal has not yet been officially proposed to the Ross County Commissioners.
Pickaway County is the only other local county that exempts B&B's from the bed tax. City governments also have to act on the proposal for the applicable businesses within their corporation limits.
