Bay St Louis Considers New Tourist Tax
Bay St. Louis official floats hotel tax increase over food tax revival
City leaders are weighing a 1 to 2 percent increase in the local hotel accommodation tax rather than reviving a tax on prepared food.
During the open public forum at Bay St. Louis City Council's October 6, 2026 meeting, a city official whose identity could not be confirmed against video addressed the two options. The speaker said the city did not want to "return the tax on ready-made food, because I personally believe that it is a tax on local residents." Instead, the official proposed raising the existing hotel accommodation tax, which is currently collected and passed to the county for coastal tourism development, so a 1 to 2 percent share would go directly to the city. The official said the change "could potentially bring in between $350,000 and $450,000." No vote was taken at the meeting.
The proposal sits within a broader local conversation about taxation and public finance, drawing a contrast between taxing residents through food purchases and taxing visitors through hotel stays. It remains to be seen whether the idea advances toward a formal vote or ballot measure, and how any new revenue would be earmarked by the city.