Medina sets public hearing on Jan. 27 for new 2% bed tax
Photos by Tom Rivers: The Bent’s Opera House is shown on Monday evening with many decorations up for the holidays. Bent’s has 10 hotel rooms on the second floor. The top floor is an events center while a restaurant is on the first floor.
MEDINA – The Medina Village Board will have a public hearing at 6 p.m. on Jan. 27 at the Ridgeway Town Hall to hear feedback about a new 2 percent bed tax for hotels, motels, short-term rentals and other lodging establishments in the village.
Village officials sought for years to have the new tax, which will be on top of the 8 percent sales tax and the county’s 4 percent occupancy tax.
The tax was signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Nov. 22, following approval by the State Assembly and State Senate.
Medina officials say they pushed for the new tax as a way to generate some additional money to work on infrastructure projects at the Medina Business Park and in the village to promote economic development.
However, a draft proposal of the new law for the tax says it will go in the village’s general fund to be “allocated at the discretion of the Medina Village Board for any Village purpose.”
Bent’s Opera House has 10 hotel rooms in addition to the Harvest restaurant and events venue. The site has many new holiday decorations up this year to enhance the downtown experience for local residents and visitors.
