Additional Lodging Tax Proposed in County.

The resorts and B&Bs on the Gunflint Trail along with lodging properties throughout Cook County are being asked to support a lodging tax increase of 1%. The tax would be used to fund the Cook Country Events and Visitors Bureau. Currently business throughout the county collect a 3% lodging tax and the new tax if approved would raise the lodging tax rate to 4%. Final determination of whether to enact this tax or not is at the discretion of the Cook County Board of Commissioners.

Gunflint Trail businesses have called a special meeting for 12:00 noon on Wednesday to vote on whether they are willing to participate in this new taxing initiative. The Gunflint meeting was called after the Gunflint Trail Association Board of Directors received a lot of opposition from it members on this tax proposal. The Board is hoping all Association members will turn-out at this meeting to express their opinion on this new tax.

The new tax as presented by the Minnesota State Legislature to the Cook County Board reads as follows (sorry about the hard to read quality):