A special election will be on the ballot August 1st in Washington for a referendum proposing a hotel motel tax.

If passed, it means a tax would be collected by the local hotels and lodges from those who rent rooms when visiting Washington. The money will then go back to promoting Washington and improving the local community. Debbie Stanton, who is part of the committee advocating for the passage of the referendum, says she supports it, “The thing that I really dislike hearing is when people talk about how Washington is a great, little secret jewel in the state. And it’s really sweet when they say that, but to me, it always breaks my heart a little bit because I don’t want it to be a secret. We all love Washington. So we want other people to know how great it is. And we have so many wonderful restaurants and retail establishments tourists can come and visit. I’m just really excited to share more of our story with the state and the region.”

Local realtor Charla Howard also supports the measure, which is in place in other communities, “It’s important that everyone understands this revenue and tax, whatever you want to call it even though we’re not being taxed here in the city, it’s really important for people to understand that it’s going to improve where they live and increase that quality of life that we all desire to have.”

A simple majority is needed for the referendum to pass. Early voting and absentee voting will be available. For more information listen to the Washington Page at KCIIRadio.com.