FAYETTEVILLE — Fayette County commissioners Friday unanimously approved a doubling of the county’s bed tax, including a few caveats that made the tax hike somewhat more palatable to those in the lodging and whitewater rafting industries.

Effective Aug. 1, the tax rate — also known as the hotel-motel tax — will jump from 3 percent to 6 percent. The only exceptions will apply to those who made and confirmed reservations prior to July 20 for room occupancy before Nov. 1.

In doing so, commissioners followed the advice of several in the local tourism industry who expressed concerns at the July 6 public hearing that the measure would unfairly impact those who were caught in midstream, so to speak, between booking a reservation before the enactment of the tax increase and paying for it in the end.

As written, the order states that “hotel operators shall provide a copy of said confirmed reservations to the sheriff of Fayette County prior to Aug. 15.” Ultimately, however, “it’s pretty much an honor system anyway,” as Commissioner Matthew Wender explained to fellow Commissioner John Lopez.

“The Hospitality and Travel Association has been against this for 10 years, but we’ve softened our opposition,” HTA board member and Class VI River Runners owner Dave Arnold said two weeks ago.

“I have 369 reservations on the books between August and Bridge Day (in October), so I would have to go back to all these people and either ask for more money or eat this cost.”

Arnold claimed documented studies have shown that travelers reach a financial “tipping point” in terms of hotel-motel taxes combined with sales taxes, after which they simply feel ripped off or cheated.

Commissioners estimate the tax hike will bring in $90,000 in additional revenue. That money would be used to promote tourism or go to other tourism-related causes.

Slightly less unanimity surrounded the vote to re-zone some Danese property from R-R (rural residential) to B-2 (business local). Bucking the county planning and zoning commission’s vote last month against the petition, commissioners voted 2-1 Friday to re-zone Deborah Taylor’s 1.53 acres on Glade Creek as B-2.

Fierce opposition was voiced at the July 6 public hearing by area residents based on environmental and moral concerns. Commission president Ken Eskew was the sole nay vote to Wender’s motion Friday.

Just before the vote, Wender apologized to the Rev. Alan Whitt, pastor of Faith Freewill Baptist Church, for the behavior of Jim Billings, Taylor’s attorney, at the July 6 meeting.

“It embarrassed us,” Wender declared, adding he appreciates the concerns of the Danese community and commending Whitt for speaking out on issues he deems important.

For well over a year, Whitt has spearheaded the opposition to any re-zoning of that parcel of property, fearing future owners will attempt to sell alcohol or offer gambling there.

“I felt that the restaurant (that Taylor wants to re-open) didn’t have the same moral or safety implications (as previous re-zoning applications have faced),” Wender stated. Lopez spoke about the American system of free enterprise before offering a second to Wender’s motion.

The building that currently sits on the property was damaged in a fire seven years ago, according to Taylor, and has not been zoned as a restaurant since a statute requiring a change in zoning for such a move took effect in 2002.

Taylor says she has owned the property since 1999. The restaurant served three meals a day, seven days a week, and employed up to seven people in a given week when she operated it for a year prior to the fire, she said.

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In other business, commissioners gave their unanimous blessing to a petition by an Oak Hill man to have seven lots, on which he wants to build homes, annexed into the city of Oak Hill via a minor boundary adjustment. The man owns a business called S&D; Contractors. “Expand your tax base,” Eskew said to Oak Hill Mayor Bill Hannabass.

— E-mail: mhill@register-herald.com