ASHEVILLE - Facing pressure from residents and city leaders, a group of influential hotel owners say they support redirecting potentially millions of dollars in local tax money from tourism marketing to projects that could directly benefit the public — but they are at odds with an important state senator who could stop the change.
The conflict between Sen. Chuck Edwards, R-Henderson, and a hotel advocacy group that includes the manager of the region's most prominent hotel and the chair of the body that controls the hotel tax, has come into view as the March 11 deadline approaches to propose a new state law to change how the hotel room occupancy tax is used.