A representative of the Rotorua Resident and Ratepayers group, Glenys Searancke, is quoted as saying the best way for our city to collect a tax from visiting tourists, is via a bed tax (Rotorua Daily Post, September 30). She claims that such a tax is simple as it is simply added to the bottom of the visitors charges.
That part is indeed simple, even though it could come as an unwelcome surprise to a visitor.
More importantly, it should be clear to her and her association that such a method would require a considerable effort in manpower to administer.
Would she have every accommodation outlet, including B & B operators, camp ground, hotel, motel etc being required to fill out monthly returns to council, to account for the money that they have collected on behalf of Rotorua? And would she accept yet another department be set up within our council in order to monitor and police what has been paid? She has often commented that council staff numbers should be reduced, not raised.
Extraction from the visitor may well be simple, but the ongoing administration costs and headaches could well take the gloss off any amount collected.
