Cities in DeKalb seek state approval to raise hotel taxes

The Marriott hotel and the Highwoods building are part of the Century Center office complex in Chamblee that can be seen from I-85. BRANT SANDERLIN /BSANDERLIN@AJC.COM .

Credit: BRANT SANDERLIN / BSANDERLIN@AJ

Credit: BRANT SANDERLIN / BSANDERLIN@AJ

The Marriott hotel and the Highwoods building are part of the Century Center office complex in Chamblee that can be seen from I-85. BRANT SANDERLIN /BSANDERLIN@AJC.COM .

Hotel taxes are likely going up in the cities of Brookhaven, Chamblee, Dunwoody and Tucker.

Legislation in the Georgia General Assembly allows the cities to charge an 8 percent excise tax on hotels and motels. The city governments currently charge a 5 percent rate.

City officials requested the tax increase to raise money for tourism products and marketing. Hotels in unincorporated areas of DeKalb County already pay an 8 percent tax.

In Brookhaven, the tax will fund the Peachtree Creek Greenway project, a series of parks and paths connecting to the Atlanta Beltline and Path400, according to The Brookhaven Post.

In Dunwoody, the tax will pay for trails and green space, along with marketing and branding, according to Reporter Newspapers.

State lawmakers approved the tax for Brookhaven and Dunwoody under House Bill 575 and House Bill 564.

Similar measures for Chamblee and Tucker, House Bill 621 and House Bill 596, are advancing in the General Assembly. The 2017 legislative session ends Thursday.