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Hotel tax would help fund airport expansion

The Tiger Hotel in downtown Columbia.
KBIA
The Tiger Hotel in downtown Columbia.

Out-of-town visitors may soon have to pay more to stay in a Columbia hotel.  The Missouri House of Representatives approved a measure by a voice vote this week allowing the city to charge an additional three percent tax on hotel stays.

Columbia Representative Stephen Webber, who sponsored the bill, said the tax would help finance expansion of the Columbia Regional Airport. 

"I think that the voters of Columbia should be given a choice whether they want to pursue a long-term strategy to expand and remodel the Columbia airport and increase air traffic from Columbia. In order to do this, we'd need to bond approximately $17 million and we are looking for a revenue stream to pay off the bonds without affecting other city services."

The House still needs to conduct a formal roll call vote to move the bill to the Senate.