Started by Sally Reeve (Flint Beach Ohana)
Oct 28, 2023
Oct 28, 2023
8
Will residents be subject to Tourism Tax? - Comments are due Oct 31st
Oct 28, 2023
Comment deadline is October 31st.
The county is gathering feedback on the plan through Oct. 31. Feedback can be submitted online at st.news/sanjuanislands or emailed to tourism@sanjuanco.com.
Plan information:
https://engage.sanjuancountywa.gov/destination-management-plan
This is presented because many are unaware of this in the proposed Sustainable Tourism Plan. I participated in an online session this spring; however, there was no specific reference in that session to what is noted in the Seattle Times article (see below). I looked at a summary of the proposed plan and information from the Lopez Trails Network and submitted my comments. I was not aware of the proposed tourism tax on residents and tourists.
In searching the Sustainable Tourism Plan the best reference I could find was on page 84 of 89 which listed proposed implementation dates for car, bike and boat passes. I could not find a definition of 'what is a boat' - do kayaks need a pass? or what if we have more than one bike or car in our household? The reference to this is sort of like a Discover Pass did not answer much.
This is a proposed plan. However, I am not sure reasonable information has been provided to us in order for the citizens of the county to respond.
How do we as taxpayers in the County feel about an additional burden (it is small) to pay for infrastructure and tourism when we already pay sales and property taxes to the County and park districts in places? Should this type of tax be levied only on tourists?
I'm not sure how I feel about the proposed tourism tax on residents and tourists. But I do not appreciate that this topic has not been allowed a robust community discussion and thus am bringing this to the attention in our community.
Appreciate input from others who are more aware of this in the proposed plan.
Read the Seattle Times article:
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/san-juan-islands-consider-annual-tourism-fee-for-residents-visitors/
The county is gathering feedback on the plan through Oct. 31. Feedback can be submitted online at st.news/sanjuanislands or emailed to tourism@sanjuanco.com.
Plan information:
https://engage.sanjuancountywa.gov/destination-management-plan
This is presented because many are unaware of this in the proposed Sustainable Tourism Plan. I participated in an online session this spring; however, there was no specific reference in that session to what is noted in the Seattle Times article (see below). I looked at a summary of the proposed plan and information from the Lopez Trails Network and submitted my comments. I was not aware of the proposed tourism tax on residents and tourists.
In searching the Sustainable Tourism Plan the best reference I could find was on page 84 of 89 which listed proposed implementation dates for car, bike and boat passes. I could not find a definition of 'what is a boat' - do kayaks need a pass? or what if we have more than one bike or car in our household? The reference to this is sort of like a Discover Pass did not answer much.
This is a proposed plan. However, I am not sure reasonable information has been provided to us in order for the citizens of the county to respond.
How do we as taxpayers in the County feel about an additional burden (it is small) to pay for infrastructure and tourism when we already pay sales and property taxes to the County and park districts in places? Should this type of tax be levied only on tourists?
I'm not sure how I feel about the proposed tourism tax on residents and tourists. But I do not appreciate that this topic has not been allowed a robust community discussion and thus am bringing this to the attention in our community.
Appreciate input from others who are more aware of this in the proposed plan.
Read the Seattle Times article:
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/san-juan-islands-consider-annual-tourism-fee-for-residents-visitors/
Comment by Kevin Sterling
Nov 4, 2023
Nov 4, 2023
0
I’m not super knowledgeable about sustainable tourism plans...but I would hope that any county plan still at the ‘preliminary draft’ stage would encourage feedback from local residents. If it’s just a rough draft, why has the public comment period closed? Will there be another comment period in the future?
Comment by Hazel Burns
Nov 1, 2023
Nov 1, 2023
3
To both Rick Strachan and Kevin Sterling:
Hear! Hear! The transportation problem is horrible.
The advent of the reservations system seems to have exacerbated the problem and Lopez no longer even has firm space ... Read All
Hear! Hear! The transportation problem is horrible.
The advent of the reservations system seems to have exacerbated the problem and Lopez no longer even has firm space ... Read All
Comment by Rick Strachan
Oct 31, 2023
Oct 31, 2023
8
Regarding this proposed "tourism" tax, I do think that since I already pay sales and property taxes to the County and park districts in places, this proposed tax should be levied only on tourists, and that visitors coming to the County via ferry, bicycle, motorcycle or even as walk-ons should purchase the Discover-like passes and attach them to the ... Read All
Comment by Kevin Sterling
Oct 31, 2023
Oct 31, 2023
6
Does anyone have Jane Fuller’s phone number? I found three different phone numbers for her on the internet but none of them got me to a voicemail or machine that actually said I reached the office or phone of Mrs. Fuller. I emailed my concerns/suggestions about the Destination Management Plan to tourism@sanjuanco.com but I think letting our council person know how we feel might carry more weight.
This plan appears to be created by the tourist bureau and people who are are heavily biased towards increasing the number of tourists. I don’t think ‘encouraging visitors in the off season’ and ‘offering alternatives to enjoy lesser visited locations’ is the answer to over tourism. The tourism industry should not be regulating themselves.
Rather than increase tourist carrying capacity I think San Juan County should establish new vacation rental rules. Home vacation rentals currently account for the largest number of tourist accommodations. A cap on vacation rental permits was implemented to keep tourism and lack of affordable housing from getting any worse. A sustainable tourism plan seems like a great place to implement some of the ideas brought up during the moratorium - decouple permits from properties, restrict the maximum number of days a vacation rental can operate, make permits only available to full time residents, make it so that vacation rental operators can only rent their primary residence....
Don’t get me started on the whale watching industry but constantly harassing the whales for the the tourists entertainment doesn’t seem sustainable.
And I’ve lost count of the number of times we’ve had to reschedule doctor and dentist appointments for the kids over the last year because we were unable to get off island. We need an actual sustainable tourism committee that represents local island residents. We need to stop ‘marketing’ and ‘promoting’ and ‘branding’ the San Juan Islands as a tourist destination. Let’s put our community and environment first.
This plan appears to be created by the tourist bureau and people who are are heavily biased towards increasing the number of tourists. I don’t think ‘encouraging visitors in the off season’ and ‘offering alternatives to enjoy lesser visited locations’ is the answer to over tourism. The tourism industry should not be regulating themselves.
Rather than increase tourist carrying capacity I think San Juan County should establish new vacation rental rules. Home vacation rentals currently account for the largest number of tourist accommodations. A cap on vacation rental permits was implemented to keep tourism and lack of affordable housing from getting any worse. A sustainable tourism plan seems like a great place to implement some of the ideas brought up during the moratorium - decouple permits from properties, restrict the maximum number of days a vacation rental can operate, make permits only available to full time residents, make it so that vacation rental operators can only rent their primary residence....
Don’t get me started on the whale watching industry but constantly harassing the whales for the the tourists entertainment doesn’t seem sustainable.
And I’ve lost count of the number of times we’ve had to reschedule doctor and dentist appointments for the kids over the last year because we were unable to get off island. We need an actual sustainable tourism committee that represents local island residents. We need to stop ‘marketing’ and ‘promoting’ and ‘branding’ the San Juan Islands as a tourist destination. Let’s put our community and environment first.
Comment by Ruby Layne Hampton
Oct 31, 2023
Oct 31, 2023
1
NO, it’s government BY the people,for the people…we don’t ask, we make the rules for the people,BY the people…
Comment by John Waugh
Oct 30, 2023
Oct 30, 2023
5
This plan is way too much too soon. Document is something like 80 pages.
While it seems well thought out, and many of the suggestions are good, the idea of having licensing fees for almost everything (cars, boats, bikes, airplanes? foreheads?) i ... Read All
While it seems well thought out, and many of the suggestions are good, the idea of having licensing fees for almost everything (cars, boats, bikes, airplanes? foreheads?) i ... Read All
Comment by Debra Maggiora
Oct 30, 2023
Oct 30, 2023
1
This is a preliminary draft for 2023 & stated there is more to do. It is important you submit your comments--even if those might state "more time is required by the public to study this proposal".
Comment by Hazel Burns
Oct 29, 2023
Oct 29, 2023
6
I had heard absolutely nothing about this "destination-management-plan" until I received a mailing a few days ago. I am wondering how many other island's residents were equally surprised when they received that mailing? It seems to have been kept very quiet, and asking for input and comments, within only a few days of the October 31st deadlin ... Read All