DE Turf Complex Makes Their Case For 3% Lodging Tax

WOODSIDE, Del. – Thursday night roughly 100 people packed into the Adult Education Conference Center at Polytech High School to hear DE Turf Complex explain how they would use the money from a 3% lodging tax that could be imposed in Kent County.

As it stands right now, all the revenue from that tax would head to the complex, which they say they would use to help pay the bids to bring the biggest tournaments the nation.

“We already have a phenomenal facility, we’re doing very well, but in order to attract the nations largest national festivals and events of those natures they do require an investment,” said Chris Giacomucci,  the executive director of the DE Turf Complex.

As proposed, complex officials say the tax would bring in an estimated 950 thousand dollars annually to DE Turf and according to them the tournaments they would bring in would big a big boost for the economy.

“Those estimate up to an additional 30 million dollars in economic impact, just off of a sample size. There are dozens of these events out here and Kent County should be capitalizing on them,” said Giacomucci.

Some locals say since the money wouldn’t be coming out of their pockets, they see it as a no brainer for the area.

“A small tax on the hotel room that could help grow the Delaware turf, I think there’s no problem there at all,” said Ruth Fuchs, a resident of Kent County.

But some hotels aren’t so quick to approve. A 3 percent lodging tax could also be implemented in Dover and all that would be on top of the 8 percent lodging tax already in place statewide.

“If you’re looking at a large block of rooms for a convention or a conference, that 14 percent is going to make a heck of a lot of difference between Dover Downs and another location across the state line,” said Joseph Fitzgerald, whose firm represents the Delaware Hotel Lodging Association.