The Austin Staycationer: The LINE Hotel

Your close-to-home guide to getting away

"...restrictions, Austin tourism was at an all-time high. Now, hotel occupancy rates are seeing new lows, dropping around 40%..."

Jan. 29, 2021 Food Feature by Veronica Meewes

Council Recap: The Beat Goes On, Ever So Slowly

Music scene frustrated at pace of COVID relief

"...Spencer Cronk to allocate $15 million in revenues from hotel taxes to support “iconic” Austin businesses, beginning with a..."

Dec. 4, 2020 News Post by Austin Sanders

SoundSync Music Founder Nathalie Phan Finds "Time to Pivot"

"...need for help to the local music industry, a hotel occupancy tax-generated Live Music Fund for the city notwithstanding...."

Nov. 27, 2020 Features Feature by Greg Stitt

Could a Hotel Tax Help Save Austin’s Creative Sector?

A familiar debate returns under extreme circumstances

"...argument has resurfaced: Why not use some of the hotel occupancy tax revenue visitors to Austin pay on their..."

Oct. 9, 2020 News Feature by Austin Sanders

Council Recap: $15M in SAVES Funding for Venues, Child Care, Iconic Biz

Efforts to raid Convention Center reserves turned back

"...directed staff instead to allocate $8.5 million in sales tax revenues to the SAVES funds. [inset-1]..."

Oct. 2, 2020 News Post by Austin Sanders

Council Preview: City Finds $15 Million to Help Struggling Businesses

Three programs designed to assist economic sectors forced to close early in the pandemic

"...established the Live Music Fund, allocating a portion of hotel occupancy taxes to help prop up struggling creatives and..."

Oct. 2, 2020 News Feature by Austin Sanders

Faster Than Sound: It’s Now or Never for a Music Venue Preservation Fund

When will the city of Austin give music venues aid to preserve their so-called ‘Live Music Capital’?

"...production companies. Antone's, Continental Club, Mohawk, Cheer Up Charlies, Hotel Vegas, Hole in the Wall, and the Venue ATX..."

Sept. 25, 2020 Music Column by Rachel Rascoe

City Council Mulls Future Events, as Venues Cry for Help Now

Convention Center expansion, money for local businesses, and more Council items

"...annually), as well as a 12% increase in Downtown hotel occupancy and a $37 increase in the average daily..."

Sept. 18, 2020 News Feature by Austin Sanders

Who Will Help the Hospitality Industry? And Who Else Has Closed?

Here's what's happening in the Austin culinary scene right now

"...Austin has been lobbying the City to make HOT (hotel occupancy tax) money available to bars, restaurants, and other..."

Sept. 16, 2020 Food Post by Wayne Alan Brenner

Faster Than Sound: HAAM Day Fundraises Onscreen

The Health Alliance for Austin Musicians’ biggest fundraising day of the year goes online

"...Nathalie Phan, the group focused on funding from the hotel occupancy tax-generated Live Music Fund and the $12 million..."

Sept. 11, 2020 Music Column by Rachel Rascoe

Faster Than Sound: R&B Innovator Nayome Gets Personal

Sade-loving local Naomi Sutton previews sophomore EP, Latin music enters Live Music Fund conversation, and more music news.

"...to support the local Latin music scene utilizing the hotel occupancy tax-supported Live Music Fund, created last fall. The..."

Aug. 14, 2020 Music Column by Rachel Rascoe

Faster Than Sound: Austin Musicians Petition for Black Live Music Fund

Black Live Music Fund garners support, Bill Callahan previews Gold Record, and DJ Jester the Filipino Fist harassed in North Campus.

"...The petition calls for half of the hotel occupancy tax-generated Live Music Fund, created last fall, to..."

July 31, 2020 Music Column by Rachel Rascoe

A Budget Forged in Crisis Looks Toward Long-Term Opportunities

Resilience, rethinking, recovery

"...(amended) FY 20 budget. The General Fund, where your taxes go, is basically flat – up 0.1%, or about..."

July 24, 2020 News Feature by Mike Clark-Madison

As Budget Battles Begin, APD Takes a Minor Hit

Only a small change, for now

"...and expected partial recovery of the city's hard-hit sales tax collections, which the city forecasts "very conservatively." (That is,..."

July 17, 2020 News Feature by Mike Clark-Madison

Faster Than Sound: Austin Music Commission Considers a Black Live Music Fund

Envisioning a Black Live Music Fund and fixing the Broken Spoke

"...Riders Against the Storm suggested utilizing half of the hotel occupancy tax-generated Live Music Fund for a Black Live..."

July 10, 2020 Music Column by Rachel Rascoe

City Plans to Spend $270 Million in COVID-19 Relief

Clock is ticking to allocate anticipated federal funding

"...the remainder of FY 20, staff projects declines in hotel occupancy tax and airport revenues of $36.7 million and..."

May 22, 2020 News Feature by Austin Sanders

Austin’s Economic Forecast Is Unsurprisingly Bleak

City budgeteers project COVID-19 recovery could take two years

"...job growth leads to a 1% change in sales tax...."

April 7, 2020 News Post by Austin Sanders

Headlines

"...Cesar Chavez. Purchasing funds are to come from Austin's Hotel Occupancy Tax revenue. See more online...."

Feb. 28, 2020 News Feature

City Offers $10 Million to County for Palm School

Funds to purchase historic landmark to come from hotel tax

"...hospital property on Red River, and 2 cents of Hotel Occupancy Tax capacity. The county subsequently, at the ballot..."

Feb. 21, 2020 News Post by Mike Clark-Madison

A Dem Sweep in Travis County Commissioners Court?

Four vie for a shot at Commissioners Court's last red seat

"...to consider asking voters to pay more in property taxes. If voters approved a tax rate higher than that..."

Feb. 21, 2020 News Feature by Austin Sanders

Faster Than Sound: Body Rock Turns 10

Riders Against the Storm and Chorizo Funk’s decade-built dance institution endures, Monday City music meetings, and more

"...VP of Campus Operations at the Long Center, on Hotel Occupancy Tax fund use: "Honestly, if the hotels are..."

Feb. 7, 2020 Music Column by Rachel Rascoe

Former County Judge Rails Against Delia Garza

What is Bill Aleshire's problem with the county attorney candidate?

"...Travis County government," says the former county judge and tax assessor. "I may get excited about what I'm writing..."

Jan. 10, 2020 News Feature by Michael King

Dark Clouds Over Travis County Expo Center?

County and city at an impasse over hotel occupancy tax monies

"...Travis County Proposition A – authorizing a 2-cent county hotel occupancy tax (HOT) to fund a revitalization of the..."

Dec. 27, 2019 News Feature by Mike Clark-Madison

Faster Than Sound: Austin Music Video Festival Reaches 5

Local DIY videos mingle with the big leagues, Austin Music Commission forecasts 2020, and Federico Pacheco leads KOOP into its next quarter-century

"...ahead to support homegrown commercial music with newly tapped hotel occupancy tax (HOT). Concern over an estimated $3 million..."

Dec. 6, 2019 Music Column by Rachel Rascoe

County Revives Proposal for Palm School / Expo Center Land Swap

County Judge’s latest offer to city manager expires Dec. 16

"...Center, and the city and county's respective levies of hotel occupancy tax. On Monday, Nov. 18, County Judge Sarah..."

Nov. 22, 2019 News Feature by Mike Clark-Madison

Faster Than Sound: Goodbye Prop B, Hello HOT Monies

Following the defeat of Proposition B, Austin music advocates brainstorm applications of the first city funding for commercial music

"...entanglements in the rearview (revisit "Historic Approval of City Tax Fund for Local Music," Sept. 27), music wonks move..."

Nov. 22, 2019 Music Column by Rachel Rascoe

Point Austin: The Morning After

What voters said about taxes, city and county plans, and dogs

"...is not news that most Texans hate the word "taxes," whether it is pandered in the form of an..."

Nov. 8, 2019 News Column by Michael King

Travis County & City of Austin Election 2019: Final Results

City propositions go down; Expo Center wins voters’ hearts

"...the city's desired Convention Center expansion and reallocate Austin's hotel occupancy tax revenue – losing by almost 10 points...."

Nov. 8, 2019 News Feature by Michael King

Austin & Travis County 2019 Election Results

FINAL: Both city props fail; Expo Center wins

"...us to retire our debt early, to make that [Hotel Occupancy Tax] money available, and we’ll need to continue..."

Nov. 5, 2019 News Post by Michael King

Prop B Campaigns Exchange Charges of Being "Republican"

As election day nears both sides of the debate trade barbs

"...also move to re-allocate the city's portion of the Hotel Occupancy Tax in ways that supporters say are more..."

Nov. 1, 2019 News Post by Michael King

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