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Philadelphia City Council Proposes New Hotel Tax to Fund Tourism Promotions and Services

Official:Establishing a business improvement district encompassing certain taxable (for real estate tax purposes) hotels within the boundaries of the City and County of Philadelphia, to be known as the Philadelphia Hospitality Improvement Levy District (the "District"); designating the Philadelphia Hospitality Improvement Levy District Corporation to serve as Neighborhood Improvement District Management Association (the "NIDMA") for the District; approving a plan for the District, including a list of proposed programs and services related to the development and promotion of the hotel and tourism industry in the City and County of Philadelphia and their estimated cost, and providing for special assessment fees to be levied on affected property owners within the District to fund such programs and services; authorizing the Director of Commerce, on behalf of the City, to execute an agreement with the NIDMA for the District; and authorizing the NIDMA to assess affected property owners within the District and collect or cause to be collected special assessment fees to be used in accordance with the approved plan; all in accordance with the provisions of the Community and Economic Improvement Act.

Sponsor: Councilmember Green

Introduced: May 4, 2017

: Committee on Rules

business business improvement district economic development

No one voted on this bill

This bill was introduced in the 2016–2019 Council term and when that term ran out. The public record shows no committee vote and no floor vote at any stage, so no member of Council ever went on record for or against it.

That is not unusual here. Of the 8,465 bills introduced between 2000 and 2025, 1,624 lapsed without a single recorded vote. Ninety percent of bills that became law carry a roll call. Three percent of lapsed bills do. How this works.

Plain-Language Summary

This bill proposes creating a business improvement district (BID) in Philadelphia to promote hotel and tourism development. The BID would assess hotels within its boundaries a special fee to fund programs and services.

What This Bill Does

AI-written. Every figure is checked against the bill text.

Creates a business improvement district (BID) called the Philadelphia Hospitality Improvement Levy District (District) that encompasses taxable hotels within the City and County of Philadelphia.
Authorizes the Philadelphia Hospitality Improvement Levy District Corporation to serve as the Neighborhood Improvement District Management Association (NIDMA) for the District.
Approves a plan for the District that includes a list of proposed programs and services related to hotel and tourism development, such as estimated costs for these programs and services.
Imposes special assessment fees on affected property owners within the District to fund the approved programs and services, with the fees to be collected by the NIDMA.