Testimony in Support of House Bill 161 — Anna Louden, Logan County Visitors Bureau

Summary

Testimony in support of House Bill 161 by Anna Louden, Director of the Logan County Visitors Bureau, addressed to the Ohio House Ways and Means Committee and dated April 30, 2025. The testimony states that the bill does not create a new tax and that short-term rentals should be treated the same as traditional hotels. It states that Logan County has only three hotels contributing to tourism funding through lodging tax collections, a Visitors Bureau budget of about $110,000, and over 300 active short-term rental properties not currently collecting or remitting lodging tax. It says even a 3 percent lodging tax on short-term rentals could double or even triple the budget.

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Anna Louden​
Director, Logan County Visitors Bureau​
alouden@visitlogancountyohio.com | (937) 599-5121​
experiencelogancounty.com

Testimony in Support of House Bill 161​
Ohio House Ways and Means Committee​
April 30, 2025

Chair Hoops, Vice Chair Lorenz, Ranking Member Abdullahi, and members of the committee:

Thank you for the opportunity to offer testimony today in support of House Bill 161. My name is Anna
Louden, and I am the Director of the Logan County Visitors Bureau. Logan County is located about 60
minutes northwest of Columbus along US 33.

House Bill 161 is a much-needed modernization of Ohio’s existing lodging and sales tax framework to
recognize today’s realities in the tourism economy. It does not create a new tax. Ohio’s lodging tax was
established in 1967, and the sales tax in 1935. What we are seeing today is a new type of lodging
business, short-term rentals, which should be treated the same as traditional hotels.

In Logan County, tourism is a major economic driver for our rural community of about 46,000 residents.
We welcome visitors year-round to destinations like Indian Lake State Park, Mad River Mountain Ski
Resort, and our revitalized Downtown Bellefontaine. Tourism supports our local shops, restaurants,
seasonal events, and recreational activities that strengthen the economy throughout the entire county.

Today, we have only three hotels that contribute to tourism funding through lodging tax collections,
supporting a Visitors Bureau budget of about $110,000. At the same time, we now have over 300 active
short-term rental properties that are not currently collecting or remitting lodging tax. Rural communities
like ours may not be able to readily attract hotel chains, but we can and do attract short-term rentals.
Rural communities like ours should not be penalized for our unique accommodations. This bill addresses
this by putting all types of lodging on the same ground.

If we were able to collect even a 3 percent lodging tax from short-term rentals, our budget could double
or even triple. This would allow us to expand tourism promotion, enhance events, improve signage and
infrastructure, and bring more visitors into all corners of Logan County. Beyond marketing, the additional
revenue would support infrastructure, parks, public safety, and downtown development efforts across all
of our villages and municipalities.

Short-term rentals provide the same commercial service as hotels. House Bill 161 ensures fairness by
treating all lodging businesses equally without creating new rates, new taxes, or changing how funds are
distributed.

The potential positive impact of House Bill 161 goes far beyond Logan County. Every county in Ohio,
especially rural communities like ours, could see stronger tourism funding and local investment if
short-term rentals are taxed equally. Adding short-term rentals into the lodging and sales tax system
would create millions of dollars more in economic impact across the state, directly supporting local
governments, small businesses, and tourism promotion efforts. Communities large and small, urban,
suburban, and rural, would have more resources to promote tourism, improve infrastructure, and grow
their local economies.

On behalf of Logan County’s businesses, residents, and visitors, and rural communities like ours across
Ohio, I respectfully ask for your support of House Bill 161. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.


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