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Date: 02/04/02 <br />Item: VII. A <br />1�� <br />� <br />January31, 2002 <br />To: Roseville Citv Council .; <br />,�., -..� ,:�' ,, -' �, <br />From: Mayor John Kysylyczyn ��� ��-�- f� "� <br />� ,, <br />RE: Sunset provision for Visitor's Bureau � <br />On the agenda forthe February4"', 2002CityCouncil meeting is a requestto return to <br />the original ordinance, which created the tax that funds the Roseville Visitors Bureau. <br />My request to return to the original ordinance has no relationship to the work of the <br />organization. Rather, the issue before the council is one of proper taxation policy and <br />City Council oversight. <br />When the Roseville Visitors Bureau was established, funding was provided through a <br />3% tax applied to hotel and motel lodgings. State Statute allows the City Council to pass <br />an ordinance imposing this tax. Part of the original ordinance included a very important <br />provision called a"Sunset" clause. With a sunset clause, the Roseville City Council had <br />to vote yearly to continue the tax. This required the Visitor's Bureau to tustif�r on a yearly <br />basis, that they were delivering a quality product, and spending taxpayer money wisely. <br />In late 1999, the City Council eliminated the sunset provision. This allowed the tax to <br />continue without any mandated City Council review. This also eliminated any incentive <br />for the Visitor's Bureau to report yearly to the City Council. Unfortunately, during 2000- <br />2001 when the sunset provision was eliminated, an employee of the Visitors Bureau <br />was fired for fraud, theft, embezzlement, and other crimes. <br />It is dear that failure to provide a legitimate system of oversight, and permanently <br />levying taxes without any review, is simply bad policy. <br />My request is very simple. The Council needs to re-institute the sunset provision on a <br />biennium basis. Good tax and oversight policy dictates that once every two years, the <br />City Council should review the Visitors Bureau and our tax that supports them. Upon a <br />satisfactory review, the Council would take a simple vote to continue the tax for another <br />two years. Simply put, this will establish a level of accountability to the citizens and <br />business of the City of Roseville. <br />I would appreciate your support. <br />2660 Civic Center Drive •:* Roseville :• Minnesota :• 55113 <br />651-490-2200 •,• TDD 651-490-2207 :•www.ci.roseville.mn.us <br />