Fort Worth voters made history on May 4, with nearly 72% casting their ballots in favor of Proposition A. This proposition will increase the city’s hotel occupancy tax rate from 15% to 17%.
The hotel occupancy tax, a portion of a visitor’s room bill paid to the city per overnight stay, is the primary revenue source for Fort Worth’s Culture and Tourism Fund.
“Prop A will fund Phase 2 of the convention center expansion to transform our downtown and meet demand for meetings business that bolsters our $3 billion tourism economy,” said Mike Crum, director of the Public Events Department for the City of Fort Worth. “We’re grateful to all who turned out to support this crucial step forward.”
The expansion had been planned for more than a decade and was about to commence in 2020 when the global pandemic put the plans on hold. After Phase 1 was jumpstarted with federal ARPA funding, post-pandemic inflation pushed Phase 2 estimates to $600 million.
With the 2% tax increase, the city expects the Culture and Tourism Fund to meet its future obligations. This includes funding Phase 2 of the Convention Center Expansion Project, ongoing capital needs at the Will Rogers Memorial Center, and annual funding for Visit Fort Worth and the Fort Worth Herd.
