Santa Clara moves toward hotel tax for 49ers stadium deal

[The Straight Story]

Santa Clara moves toward hotel tax for 49ers stadium deal

The Santa Clara City Council took a crucial step toward enacting a special tax on guests who stay at the city's hotels to help pay for a new stadium for the San Francisco 49ers if voters approve the project in June.

By a 5-1 vote, the council Tuesday night approved the concept of a hotel district tax, which would generate $35 million toward the $937 million NFL stadium project. The tax would be imposed on eight hotels in the city's entertainment district, which is near where the stadium would be built on a parking lot adjacent to the Great America theme park.

The hotel owners must approve the hotel tax, and will receive ballots in early May, with the results revealed at a May 11 public hearing. The hotels have already expressed support for the tax district, signing onto petitions last year that set the special tax in motion for the 49ers deal.

Hotel representatives say the stadium would be a boon to their businesses.

"Undoubtedly, Santa Clara needs more offseason business," said JP Rollet, general manager of the Plaza Suites hotel. "Unquestionably, NFL and non-NFL events would boost occupancy during those periods."

http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_14794101

[msongs]

1. the 49ers Inc is filthy rich let them pay for their own coliseum nt