BEAVER DAM, KY (WFIE) -
If you eat out or spend the night in a Beaver Dam, KY, you can expect to pay a little more.
The city commission voted to approve a new tax.
Beaver Dam Mayor Paul Sandefur says the restaurant and room tax will bring in more than $200,000 to the city and be used to create a tourism commission.
Deirdra Roman has owned her restaurant in Beaver Dam for almost 13 years. She recently met with Mayor Sandefur about a three percent tax on all foods at her restaurant and others located in the city.
"I do not like any tax payer to have to pay more taxes, but for growth in our community, it's probably something that needs to be done. I've owned restaurants in other communities and there is a three percent tax there as well," Roman said. Roman is the owner of Los Mexicanos Restaurante.
The Beaver Dam City Commission all voted in favor of a restaurant and room tax. The tax would also charge people one percent who are staying at hotels in the city.
Roman says the new tax might at first discourage people from eating out.
"When people get accustomed to the extra money, I think it will be ok," Roman said.
Ernie Moore lives in McHenry and came to Monday's Beaver Dam City Commission meeting to tell the commission the tax will hurt people living in the county.
"If we go out and eat, we're going to have to pay that three cent tax, if you're from Rockport, Center Town, Cromwell, or just anywhere in the county," Moore said.
To put the tax in perspective, Mayor Sandefur says if you spend $40 eating out every week at a Beaver Dam restaurant, you would pay about $62 a year in taxes.
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