- A formal impact study done by a third party, as promised when the moratorium was put into effect, to understand all requirements, ramifications and potential impact to the Hudson economy, should this law be enacted.
- Once these findings are in hand, we ask that they be circulated to anyone upon request.
- Finally we request a "Hudson Safe," in person meeting in an outside location with members of the community and members of the Common Council to discuss this legislation.
At the Finance Committee meeting yesterday, which preceded the meeting of the full Council, Council president Tom DePietro, who chairs the Finance Committee, discussed another document that had been prepared by Rasner: a fact sheet that analyzed visitor spending in Hudson and the effects of depressed lodging occupancy on the city budget. Heather Campbell, the city treasurer, had been cited as the source of the information, and DePietro asked Campbell to comment on the accuracy of the numbers. She confirmed them and explained how Rasner has arrived at them. DePietro then asked if STRs paid sales tax. Campbell said, "They should be."
Rosenthal denied that STRs collected sales tax and said STRs typically had kitchens, so, he suggested, Rasner's estimates on how much visitors to Hudson spent in restaurants were inflated.
The proposed STR legislation is expected to be the topic of discussion at tonight's Legal Committee meeting, which begins at 6:15 p.m.
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STRs in the City of Hudson sure do pay sales taxes. They should be collecting a total of 8% (4% for the State and County) and 4% for the City (the so-called lodging tax). The first 4% is split between the State, the County and all the 12534 communities on the basis of an agreed-upon formula; the lodging tax is solely the property of the City of Hudson and is not shared with any other political subdivision.
ReplyDeleteThe chairs of the Finance and Legal committees might be expected to know these things. Don't believe either one has a full-time job so you'd think they'd have time to, I don't know, learn the job they do have. Perhaps it's too much trouble.
lets keep this simple. the STRS do generate alot of sales tax money for Hudson and the sales tax increases over the last few years have proven that. We do not need to waste more time on this,and spend more money and more endless talking about it.
ReplyDeleteas an aside, with respect to AIRBNBS having kitcens,yes indeed they do. however, i installed kitchens more a a bar to serve drinks from or to make coffee.
once i stayed in one, after it had been done a couple of years ago, and decided to cook something.
Surprise, the contractor never even hooked up the electric on the stove. and no one who stayed there ever complained.
If we can get back to normal here in hudson, and I pray we do, people will again and pack the restaurants like they did before.
Hudson can be a fun town if you let it be one, and a completely different experience from most cookie cutter places everywhere else. Lets keep hudson hudson.
I love it!
DeleteThis post is a bit of a mischaracterization. However, I was wrong on the sales tax point, in the moment. But given that STRs pay sales taxes, which return to Hudson after a formula dilution, the sales tax number presented by Bob Rasner needed further clarification. And, I do work full time as much as I can, John, so take note.
ReplyDeleteThis is the problem with politics, it's like a popularity contest. Unlike other professional occupations you do not have to have any qualifications or education to be elected to the job. So you may end up with someone who has no qualifications or education and may not even be representing the interests of the city. Such a person may craft laws designed at social engineering the city to reflect their personal will regardless of the impact.
ReplyDeleteHow can a reasonable person impose a moratorium on any business without first doing a study to determine if it is warranted? In the business world this would get your fired. In the fantasy land of Hudson politics, it gets you a free drink at the bar.
It should be noted that the numbers put together by HDC serve as just an indicator of some of the ramifications of the legislation as drafted. Rather than find fault with those numbers, the Council should be engaging an independent impact study, that takes into account economic and social impact on the community so that we can all be informed by actual data, rather than argue opinions and feelings.....
ReplyDeleteThere are many questions to be clarified about the legislation as it stands now, some of those questions were answered last night, but not nearly all. Many refer to this specific law as "draconian", It's my belief that it is onerous, not necessarily because each item on it's own is unreasonable, but when combined together, it becomes an unreasonable burden, particularly for the the Hudson resident who from time to time rents out their home, as opposed to the professional STR operator. It also became clear in the meeting that even the committee members were fully aware of each clause, much less the impact of imposing them all simultaneously. No matter where you stand on the question, and it my opinion that most people are for some sort of moderation, it's clear that this law, as written, has not had full consideration of it's specific impacts on the community, and that's essential.
there is a strong feeling of a political hi-jacking taking place with this legislation. it reeks of back door and under the table dealings. i strongly feel that this will have negative consequences on the economy of this great city. i implore all those that seek to squash this law to band together and fight this law tooth and nail via legal means. I will contribute any amount of financial means to stopping this law, that is how strongly i feel about this.
ReplyDeleteBottom line? There is a $2M shortfall in the budget. Why? Because Hudson has had a huge drop off in visitors (understandably). So instead of spending time debating this law, Hudson should be figuring out how to get people BACK! The ONLY way to flatten the curve of Hudson's financial deficit is to get more visitors to come and spend their money. That is the only way to stop the decline and prevent more businesses from closing. It's that simple.
ReplyDeleteTo John Rosenthal’s speculation that Bob Rasner’s numbers are inflated because STRs typically have kitchens: my Airbnb listings both have kitchens, I’ve had more than 200 guests stay in them, and based on requests for restaurant recommendations together with my and my housekeeper’s direct observations, the kitchens are barely ever touched.
ReplyDeleteCity should hire two app developers to make a Hudson only version of Airbnb.
ReplyDelete