As the City of Port Wentworth continues to grow, Governor Brian Kemp signed a bill to increase the hotel-motel tax there by 2%. The rate will go from 6% to 8%. They expect revenue to rise by about half a million dollars this year....For More CONTINUE THE FULL READING▶▶
City Manager Steve Davis says around 13,000 people currently live in the city limits. Port Wentworth is growing by 10 percent each year. He hopes that additional revenue from this tax increase will help with city improvements.
“This isn’t a tax increase on residents. It’s not a tax increase on the hoteliers. It’s the people that are that are renting the rooms,” he said. “We’re going to be able to invest that into our community… We’ve got a lot of beautification programs. We’ve got projects that we’re going to do at the Highway 21 interchange… spruce it up, make it look more inviting.”
Davis told News 3 that the time for investment is now because more and more people will be coming to Port Wentworth with the Ghost Pirates training facility already underway. The city is also adding sidewalks, more dining options, and entertainment. He says all this will lead to more tourism while also giving people who live here more things to do.
This increase allows the city to catch up with 90 other counties and cities like Savannah, Atlanta, and Dublin, which are already at an 8% rate.
