Tourists traveling to Gloucester will be spending a little more money to stay in the county beginning July 1. The Gloucester County Board of Supervisors voted 7-0 Tuesday night to increase the lodging tax from 4 percent to 5 percent in hopes of bringing additional revenue to the county to benefit its tourism industry.

The board held a public hearing on the matter in the colonial courthouse, and only one citizen spoke. Ware district resident Richard Elmore asked why the tax was being increased. “Are we asking to raise this because the 4 percent is not meeting our demands?” he asked.

At-large supervisor John Meyer Jr. said raising the lodging tax by 1 percent will allow the county to realize an estimated $32,000 in additional revenue, with that increase specifically designated to promote tourism. “So, we’re trying to increase the number of people coming to the county to stay, eat and take advantage of our waterfront,” Meyer said.

Petsworth district supervisor Michael Winebarger asked why the lodging tax could only be raised to 5 percent. “Why do places like Suffolk and Portsmouth get 8 percent?” he asked.

County attorney Ted Wilmot said those localities have petitioned the General Assembly to draft legislation to allow them to levy the higher tax. “If you would like to increase beyond the 5 percent, you would have to go to the General Assembly and ask them to draft legislation,” Wilmot said.

The transient lodging tax impacts hotels, motels, boardinghouses, travel campgrounds and other facilities that rent out guest rooms for continuous occupancy for fewer than 30 consecutive days. Wilmot said any excess over 2 percent of the tax must be designated and spent solely for tourism, travel and marketing of tourism. The goal, he said, is to use the dollars to attract travelers to the county, increase occupancy at lodging properties, and generate overall tourism revenues for the county.

Strategic plan

Following separate public hearings, the board voted 7-0 to adopt the county’s strategic plan for 2035. The plan illustrates ways county staff can address the board’s priorities, which include a thriving economy, education, infrastructure, human services, housing and land use, natural and recreational resources, and governance.

Also, the board voted 7-0 to adopt VDOT’s proposed six-year plan for fiscal years 2016-2021 and the Secondary System Construction Budget for Fiscal Year 2016.

Finally, it voted 6-1 (Gloucester Point supervisor Chris Hutson against) to approve a code amendment to allow accessory apartments, ancillary residential structures, and the use of travel-trailers as temporary residences during construction.