Tourism Marketing and Wine Improvement Districts: Distortions of the BID

Tourism Marketing and Wine Improvement Districts: Distortions of the BID Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Tourism Marketing and Wine Improvement Districts: Distortions of the BID, Tourist Information Center, Plymouth, CA.

11/11/2025

TO: Amador County Counsel and the Board of Supervisors

November 11, 2025

Dear Mr. Gillott:

VRBO has confirmed to me that it was instructed by HdL Companies to charge my guests 2% of their room rate upon booking.

As you well know, the 2% is NOT a tax on the guest like the TOT, as plainly described in the Resolution of Formation that the Board of Supervisors approved on 5/27/2025.

I demand that the County instruct HdL Companies with, whom it is contracted, to advise VRBO to stop illegally charging my guests this tax. Please confirm.

VRBO further explained that HdL Companies pays this illegally collected money to the administrator of the district. That would be the County.

Amador Council of Tourism is acting improperly as a government entity when it involves itself with collections. Its sole role is to provide services directly to paying businesses but it doesn't yet have authority to receive funds from the County because it has no contract.

Sincerely,
Terri Sweet
18210 Burke Drive
Plymouth, CA 95669
707-536-9290

10/30/2025

Amador County has begun illegally charging VRBO guests a 2% tax when they book a short term rental.

09/18/2025

From an article by Megan Barth: "Las Vegas isn't dead; tourism officials are deaf: What these talking heads fail to blame is the obvious gouging, nickle-and-diming, and the substantial decrease in quality service that tourists are subject to before and during their stay, and upon checking out. $30 cocktails, $26 bottles of water, $200 12-bottle buckets of domestic beer, $30 pancakes, $50 self parking, $50 minimum resort fees, numerous hotel bill taxes, additional service charges, increased union-labor costs, $25 minimum black jack tables, triple-zero roulette, and let’s not forget the outrageous $400-$600 weekend rates for a standard room. Check in lines to get into a room can be up to three hours or more and if you want to check in early, that will cost you $30-$60 extra."

08/27/2025

Point 5 # To challenge an assessment, it must be done within 30 days of the adoption of the Resolution of Formation, one must have exhausted his administrative remedies, and one must have specifically described his objections to forming the district in his opposition letter to the local agency.

08/25/2025

Point #4 - If a management district plan designates an entity to act as the "owners' association," the county/city is required to contract with that entity to provides services/activities to the businesses if the district once a district is formed SHC 36651.

Point #3 - For an assessment to meet the exception of a tax definition under Prop 26, the paying business must receive ...
08/25/2025

Point #3 - For an assessment to meet the exception of a tax definition under Prop 26, the paying business must receive directly a specific benefit or service. The assessments can't be used to market a region, for example, because that would be a general benefit. Attached are some examples of specific benefits that meet the exception definition. See 1 & 2.

08/24/2025

Point #2 - Businesses are not permitted to charge the consumer/customer the assessment. There is no option in Streets and Highways Code sections 36600-36671 to ask the customer to pay the assessment, unlike the state-levied assessments under Government Code sections 13395-13995.118. The assessment is a debt of the business owner.

08/24/2025

Point #1 - Businesses located on properties zoned for solely residential and agricultural uses are conclusively presumed not to benefit from these districts and SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY ASSESSMENT. SHC 36632.

This fact is routinely ignored by proponents. They claim that the statute only refers to property-based assessments. This is false. It is the location, along with permitted uses at that location, that determines the exemption, not the manner of payment.

Business Improvement Districts were created to help existing business districts, such as downtowns and other commercial areas, to gain economic advantage by making various improvements within their boundaries.

08/24/2025

Welcome to this page designed to help small business owners understand these distortions of Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), formed specifically under California Streets and Highways Code sections 36600-36671. Our comments refer to business-based assessments. Information contained herein is not legal advice.

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