Higher room tax gets boost
An advisory question to gauge whether the public supports a room tax increase of up to 3 percentage points was supported by an overwhelming margin late Tuesday.
About 66 percent of Clark County voters backed the idea of a room tax increase to offset budget reductions to public education because of shortfalls in state funding.
The room tax increase was originally projected to raise somewhere between $150 million to $185 million for the state's 2009-11 budget. The increase in Clark County would take the room tax to 13 percent, up from 10 percent.
Washoe County voters also were asked to consider a room tax increase.
Education advocates said they would use positive poll results to persuade state leaders to approve the lodging tax increase, which three major casino companies helped craft.
Harrah's Entertainment, Wynn Las Vegas and Station Casinos backed the proposed lodging-tax increase, which would be limited to Clark and Washoe counties.
