Tourism Panel Urges Safety Policy

The Santa Monica Convention and Visitors Bureau told the City Council this week that to maintain the millions of dollars in tax revenues generated by tourism, the city must take a more responsible stance on public safety issues, develop a long-range renovation plan for the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium and increase funding for the bureau.

Jack Siegal, chairman of the board for the bureau, said his group has helped add more than $300 million a year to the economy, most of it taxable.

Siegal said that in the past five years, hotel tax revenues alone were $22 million. In the next five years, he said, hotel taxes should bring in about $44 million.

“As an industry, tourism is clean and non-polluting, increases community pride and promotes peaceful understanding among different peoples of the world,” Siegal said.

Siegal told the council that the city should continue to invest in the bureau’s efforts, beginning with the lifting of a cap on the bureau’s budget that has been in place for three years.

The council had previously agreed to provide the bureau with 17.5% of the hotel bed taxes, but had placed a dollar limit on the sum, with only cost-of-living annual increases. This year’s budget is capped at $792,000, about 13% of the hotel bed tax revenues.

Siegal said the bureau’s budget next year is scheduled for a 4% cost-of-living increase, yet hotel bed tax revenues are expected to increase from 22% to 29%.

“It takes a reinvestment of just part of the profit that the Convention and Visitors Bureau is bringing Santa Monica for the bureau to be able to keep making that profit grow,” Siegal said.

He said city officials must work to make parks and city streets safe for both residents and visitors “without the incessant harassment and fear which plagues us.”

Siegal called on city officials to commit to a long-range renovation and expansion plan for the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.

He said a 1983 pledge by city officials to dedicate 1% of hotel bed taxes for improvements at the auditorium has virtually been ignored.

“The Civic should be a hub of community support and activity, but is unable to do so in its continuing deteriorated condition,” Siegal said. “Give the Civic back to the community; it is, after all, a public asset that belongs to us. Let it live again for all of us.”

The City Council on Tuesday night said it would consider increasing the bureau’s budget as part of its review of the city’s overall budget. Councilman Ken Genser also suggested raising the hotel bed tax from 12% to 13% as a means to raise money to hire additional police officers.