LANCASTER, Pa.
The board of the Pennsylvania Dutch Convention and Visitors Bureau has released a position statement calling on all stakeholders in the Lancaster County Convention Center to work together on a long-term solution for financing the $64 million in debt incurred to build the facility.
The board opposes raising the county hotel tax for that purpose.
“The PDCVB Board of Directors … does not support an increase in the hotel tax or excise taxto fund the convention center’s debt service, operating expenses or upkeep,” the statement said.
The financial issues surrounding the convention center have been a topic of public concern for many months. The facility is exceeding its targets for revenue and holding down expenses, officials say, but the county hotel tax, which was supposed to cover the convention center authority’s debt payments, is proving insufficient to do so.
