A local bill proposing to increase the Haywood County occupancy tax from 4 percent to 6 percent was introduced March 13 to the North Carolina General Assembly.

Rep. Joe Sam Queen, D-Waynesville, introduced the bill in the House while Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, introduced the bill in the Senate. The proposed bill has been altered since the Tourism Development Authority first discussed it in February. If passed as written, the act would expire July 1, 2023.

The legislation would allow the county to levy and collect an additional 2-percent tax on all accommodation rentals to be spent on tourism-related capital expenditure projects. The additional revenue will be remitted to the TDA. The bill states that the TDA shall create a Tourism Product Development Fund “to provide financial assistance ...