WCPO 9's Logan MacDonald covers Northern Kentucky. If you have a story that you'd like Logan to look into or a news tip, email him at Logan@WCPO.com.
NEWPORT, Ky. — Newport has quickly become a prime tourism destination in Northern Kentucky. But one city commissioner says Newport is not getting its fair share.
For every visitor who stays in one of Newport's hotels, 5% of the revenue goes to Campbell County Tourism through a regional tax agreement with MeetNKY.
"The tax is levied by the counties but collected and administered by an agency now called MeetNKY, which is our tourism and visitors bureau for the Northern Kentucky region," Newport City Commissioner Ken Rechtin said.
Rechtin said the arrangement is not working in the city's favor.
WATCH: Newport leaders split on tourism tax approach amid rising costs
"I'm not an anti-regional guy. What I don't see, though, is any revenue from that source coming to offset our costs," Rechtin said. "My goal here is to establish some sort of system that the city of Newport has an income stream to offset those costs."
Rechtin is calling on city leaders to leave the regional tax agreement with MeetNKY and instead create a local bed tax on hotel stays in Newport.
"We should use some of that income to attract new people into the city, to attract tourism, to do all those things, to attract conventioneers into our city," Rechtin said.
The push comes as Newport takes on new financial responsibilities tied to its growing tourism infrastructure.
"Recently, the city of Newport decided to take on the Purple People Bridge. We did get support from the state for lighting the bridge for $2 million, but the ongoing costs and maintenance of that tourism attraction is going to be important to be offset somehow," Rechtin said.
Newport Mayor Tom Guidugli Jr. is not ready to walk away from the city's existing regional partnership.
"The framework in our partnership with MeetNKY has been a solid one," Guidugli said.
Still, the mayor acknowledged that the city's limited revenue streams make a local hotel tax critical.
"In Newport, the way the state law works, we get zero dollars in sales tax. We get zero direct federal allocations," Guidugli said. "As we're looking at every opportunity, this bed tax, this transient room tax is going to be vital for our future."
WCPO reached out to MeetNKY for comment in this story. They declined to comment.
Have a story idea or tip for WCPO 9 Northern Kentucky reporter Logan MacDonald? Email him at Logan@WCPO.com.
