Measure W heads for passage, raising hotel, short-term rental taxes in West Marin

West Marin County voters appear to have passed Measure W, a 4 percent increase in the transient occupancy tax at rental lodgings in west Marin County according to unofficial election results late Tuesday night.

Measure W needed two-thirds approval and had received 72.4 percent with 18 of 20 precincts reporting.

The TOT is currently 10 percent in Marin County. It will be 14 percent in west Marin County if final election figures show Measure W passed.

Measure W establishes a West Marin Transient Occupancy Tax Area. The 14 percent TOT will apply to guests at hotels, short-term rentals, bed and breakfasts and campgrounds in the area.

Approximately 75 percent of the 10 percent TOT revenue in the county is from west Marin, and the number of visitors to west Marin County requires more fire and rescue services to accommodate them, county officials said.

Conversion of single-family dwellings to short-term rentals for visitors is reducing available long-term housing in the west county, county officials said.

Half of the West Marin Transient Occupancy Tax revenue will be allocated for fire and emergency services, and half will be allocated for community and local workforce housing, seniors and persons with disabilities in the west Marin tax area, according to county officials.

The revenue allocations will be subject to the Board of Supervisors’ approval, and the Marin County Tax Collector will administer the tax revenue collection.

The West Main Transient Occupancy Tax is currently estimated to raise $1.3 million annually. Administrative expenses cannot exceed 5 percent in any year.