Joel Camacho
THE House of Representatives on Friday unanimously passed House Bill 24-9, which proposes to allocate 1% or $40,000 of the Hotel Occupancy Tax, whichever is higher, for the CNMI’s beautification efforts.
All 12 members present voted to pass H.B. 24-9, authored by Rep. Joel Camacho.
House Floor Leader Marissa Flores, Reps. Julie Marie Ogo, Rep. Roy Ada, Thomas John Manglona, Malcolm Omar, Joseph Flores, Elias Rangamar, and Ramond U. Palacios were excused.
H.B. 24-9, as originally drafted, proposed to allocate 1% or $75,000 of the hotel occupancy tax collected from hotels, whichever is higher, to the Department of Lands and Natural Resources-Division of Parks and Recreation. But prior to the roll-call vote, Camacho offered a floor amendment, reducing the amount to $40,000.
The bill also reduces Marianas Visitors Authority’s share of the hotel occupancy tax from 89% to 79% and prohibits the use of funds for travel and any purposes other than beautification projects.
The bill states that the hotel occupancy tax was intended to promote tourism and that “there is a need” to provide a share of the hotel occupancy tax to the Division of Parks and Recreation.
According to the bill, reallocating a portion of the tax to sustain the division’s efforts in managing, maintaining, landscaping, and beautifying CNMI parks, recreational facilities, and tourist sites will help ensure these public spaces are continually enhanced and preserved, as they are essential to both the visitor experience and the tourism industry.
