Earlier this year, RV parks and campgrounds in Mendocino County absorbed a 10% increased transient occupancy tax (TOT) that was voted on by taxpayers. More recently, a 1% business improvement district (BID) tax increase, which does not need to be voted on by taxpayers, was proposed to the Mendocino County board of supervisors.
Although BID taxes would be allocated to the destination marketing organization (DMO) Visit Mendocino, private RV parks and campgrounds were the only outdoor hospitality accommodations included in the proposal. State, federal, and unpermitted campgrounds were not included in the initiative, meaning that around 30 privately owned and permitted parks would have been supporting all outdoor hospitality businesses within the county.
CampCalNOW took swift action in collaborating with interested parties to address Mendocino County officials, citing the following reasons that the tax initiative should not include RV parks and campgrounds:
- The proposed modifications would amplify the degree of unfair competition.
- The cost of the assessment outweighs the benefits.
- The proposed modification fails to adequately consider the economic burden on private campgrounds.
- Hotels and campgrounds should not be lumped together in the same business district.
- The resolution contained too many vague/ambiguous statements.
Shortly after these concerns were discussed with Mendocino County officials, the initiative to add private RV parks and campgrounds was pulled from the board of supervisor's docket. CampCalNOW is pleased with this outcome and will continue to work with Visit Mendocino and Mendocino County officials on a more appropriate solution. If you have questions, or are experiencing similar issues in your county, please contact our office.