2 Pine Belt cities extend special 1 percent sales tax at restaurants, bars, hotels

PINE BELT, Miss. (WDAM) - Residents of and visitors to the cities of Columbia and Waynesboro will continue to pay a little extra for the foreseeable future when dining out or staying overnight

A 1 percent sales tax on restaurants and hotels levied since 2019, will continue to be collected through the near future.

Gov. Tate Reeves signed a pair of local and private bills Wednesday, extending the “sunset” of a special sales tax in both the City of Columbia and City of Waynesboro.

The 1 percent additional tax on gross sales/bills was set to expire July, 1, 2023, in both cities.

Two local and private bills were introduced during the 2023 session, both amending original legislation from each that created the special 1 percent tax in the first place in 2019.

The new “sunset” date that would repeal the special tax will be July 1, 2027, in Waynesboro, while expiration date would be extended to July 1, 2028, in Columbia.

Both bills were introduced in the House, passed through the Senate, found approval in both bodies, and wound up on Reeves’ desk to be signed into a new law of sorts.

House Bill 1788, introduced by Rep. Bill Pigott (R-District 99) and Ken Burns (R-District 100), submitted the amending legislation in this form for the City of Columbia:

AN ACT TO AMEND CHAPTER 924, LOCAL AND PRIVATE LAWS OF 2019, TO EXTEND THE DATE OF REPEAL FROM JULY 1, 2023, TO JULY 1, 2028, ON THE ACT AUTHORIZING THE GOVERNING AUTHORITIES OF THE CITY OF COLUMBIA, MISSISSIPPI, TO LEVY A TAX UPON THE GROSS SALES OF HOTELS AND MOTELS DERIVED FROM ROOM RENTALS AND UPON THE GROSS PROCEEDS OF SALES OF RESTAURANTS FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING FUNDS FOR THE PROMOTION OF TOURISM AND PARKS AND RECREATION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:.

House Bill 1209, introduced by Rep. Juan Barnett (D-District 1209), submitted the amending legislation in this form for the City of Waynesboro:

AN ACT TO AMEND CHAPTER 942, LOCAL AND PRIVATE LAWS OF 2019, TO EXTEND THE DATE OF REPEAL TO JULY 1, 2027, ON THE PROVISION OF LAW THAT AUTHORIZES THE GOVERNING AUTHORITIES OF THE CITY OF WAYNESBORO, MISSISSIPPI, TO IMPOSE A SPECIAL TAX UPON THE GROSS PROCEEDS DERIVED FROM THE SALES OF BARS AND RESTAURANTS AS WELL AS UPON THE GROSS PROCEEDS DERIVED FROM THE SALES OF HOTELS, MOTELS AND BED-AND-BREAKFAST ROOM RENTALS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

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