Proposal for creating a tourism improvement district in Baltimore headed back to committee

Friday, December 14, 2018

A proposal for creating a tourism improvement district in Baltimore is headed back to committee after coming to final passage by the full City Council.

Council Bill 18-0293 was sent back to the taxation, finance and economic development committee after the request of Councilwoman Sharon Green Middleton Dec. 3. The bill had advanced to third reader and is set for final passage before being pulled back.

Baltimore African American Tourism Council founder Lou Fields said that the move came after he shared his concerns about the bill with Mayor Catherine Pugh’s administration. Fields aims 7.3 percent of the funds raised by the district designated to be use for developing minority-owned attractions.

“I think that this now gives us time to have a fuller discussion to work on diversity, inclusion and making sure this new money is fairly distributed among the city of Baltimore,” Fields said. “There’s a need for some resources to go beyond downtown.”

Under the proposal, all hotels within Baltimore City would pay a special assessment that would fund marketing campaigns and other tourism industry initiatives. The assessment would be in addition to the city’s 9.5 percent hotel tax.

A new hearing for the bill has not yet been scheduled. More than 45 city hotels have expressed support for the measure, according to Visit Baltimore — which is greater than the 54 percent needed to approve the tourism improvement district if the legislation passes.

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