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HARTINGTON — People who stay at an Air B&B or in a bed and breakfast in Hartington could soon see an increase in their lodging fees.
The Hartington City Council Monday discussed the idea of updating its Occupation Tax regulations.
Currently, anyone staying at the Coblestone Inn or Hartington Hotel is charged an occupation tax.
However, none of the Air B&B's or other short-term rental properties in town are currently mandated to pay that tax.
'That's an unfair advantage for those folks. They should all be playing on the same field,' Becker said.
Council members agreed. 'I think that's only fair to the hotels we have in town,' Councilman Cody Christensen said.
They estimated there are at least 12-15 of these non-traditional rooms for rent in the city.
The Council then asked city attorney Nikki Brandt to put together an ordinance to be considered at a future Council meeting.
Also Monday, the Council approved a payment from LB840 funds for work at the new Hartington Business Park. The Council agreed to pay $2,760 for work done by JEO Engineering and Keiser Ag to bore under the highway for utilities to the site.
The Council also received a report from the Hartington Public Library Monday.
The report shows the local library had 1,671 library card holders in 2024. Of those, 1,024 were from the county and 647 were Hartington residents.
The report also showed the library had 41,051 total library visits during the year.
Of the 50,394 items in the library's collection, children's books were the most popular. The report showed 33,517 children's books were borrowed in 2024, while 7,411 adults books were borrowed.
The next Hartington City Council meeting will be at 5 p.m., Feb. 10, at City Hall.
