Mission Viejo council should reject hotel tax increase

Mission Viejo council should reject hotel tax increase

There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Or a tax without side effects. The Mission Viejo City Council should contemplate that before its July 9 meeting, when it will consider putting a tax increase on lodgings before voters in the Nov. 5 election.  Called a transient occupancy tax, it’s collected on hotels, motels and homes rented from such apps as Airbnb and Vrbo. A TOT is attractive because it falls on tourists, not the locals. As the Register …