Contacting Your Elected Official The time is now to begin contacting YOUR elected state official to voice your support for removal of the Lodgers Tax loophole through SB 254 and HB 266. Our best chance to success can only occur if we work together. View our action plan below for best practices for how to contact your elected official. 1 4 Know Your District Encourage Your Elected Official Know who in the House and the Chamber represent the district your business resides in. If you don t currently know who your representative in the House and the Senate is, the New Mexico Legislature website has a helpful tool that allows users to find their elected official by typing in an address. Simply visit www., find the Legislators tab in the main menu, and click on the Find My Legislator drop down option from the menu. There is an option to find your legislator in both the House and Senate, so be sure to use this function for each chamber. Feel free to use anything apart of the advocacy toolkit as a reference or baseline for constructing your email or using as a script outline when you make your call. We want our members to use their own unique voice and perspectives when reaching out to elected officials. Also, be sure to be courteous and thoughtful. Ideally, we want our elected officials to bee ambassadors for tourism, and this is a great opportunity for you to encourage them to join our cause. 2 Document Their Contact Information 5 Don t Forget to Follow Up Each elected official has their contact information available on their online legislator profile. Keep it handy for contacting them by email, phone, and perhaps personal visit to their capitol office. 3 Review Our Talking Points, Know the Bill If you are lucky, you might receive a quick response via email. If you are even luckier, they might answer your phone call on the first try. If those things do not happen, schedule a time on your calendar a few days after your first outreach attempt for a follow up. A second phone call with a second voice mail will prompt a much higher likelihood of a response. If you decide to reach out via phone, try to make the call in the morning around 10 a.m. Review the Lodgers Tax talking points from our advocacy toolkit before you make contact with your elected official. Be rehearsed on our 3 key positions for eliminating Exemption G, as well as some of the questions you may be asked if you happen to engage with your elected official through email or phone call. Also, be sure to view the language of the actual bill. Search for House Bill 266 and Senate Bill 254 on the New Mexico Legislature website to see how the bill is written. Good Luck!
Lodgers Tax Talking Points New Mexico Hospitality Association always encourages active participation from our members with our advocacy and outreach during the Legislative Session. Before you begin making phone calls or planning visits with your representative, review this page to better understand our talking points about our priority legislation. What does this bill do? New Mexico Hospitality Association has garnered strong support for two identical bills in the House and Senate (HB 266 and SB 254). The bill seeks to eliminate Exemption G from the current Lodgers Tax Statute (3-38-16 NMSA 1978). With elimination of Exemption G, short-term rentals will be on equal footing with hotels, motels and B&B s when it es to contributing to Lodgers Tax that everyone benefits from. Who is sponsoring this bill? HB 266 is sponsored by Carl Trujillo (D) of House District 46, which represents Santa Fe County. SB 254 is sponsored by John M. Sapien (D) of Senate District 9, which represents Bernalillo and Sandoval County. What is the background of the Lodgers Tax? The Lodgers Tax (Laws 1969, Chapter 199, Section 4) dates back to 1969 when it was originally passed to give municipalities the option to impose a tax on hotels, motels and B&B s so those municipalities could use that revenue for destination marketing and promotion to boost the local tourism economy. The law includes a series of exemptions from Lodgers Tax. One of those exemptions, Exemption G, exempts rentals with less than 3 rooms from contributing to Lodgers Tax (and potentially GRT). Without a statewide solution, hotels, motels and B&B s still pay Lodgers Tax while short-term rentals booked through digital platforms do not, despite the lucrative short-term rental market and the boost these rentals receive from municipal marketing and promotion efforts. Are there any other problems? There are a couple of other issues. There are a few municipalities in New Mexico, such as Santa Fe and Taos, that have implemented local solutions to this problem, but the lack of a statewide solution makes enforcement rather difficult. Also, there are issues with enforcing codes and other munity regulations. Property managers are required to enforce particular standards for their rental properties while there isn t a process to hold short-term rentals that use digital booking platforms to the same standard. These are concerns our priority legislation hopes to address. So, is this a new tax? It is certainly NOT a new tax. What we are trying to do is eliminate a tax loophole. The law is already on the books and the tourism industry is in pliance, so we are working to ensure parity with the short-term rental market as well. Is this anti-innovation? It is too simplistic and grossly inaccurate to label this measure as anti-innovation. We are simply creating uniformity between the short-term rental market and the tourism industry, all of which benefit from municipal marketing and promotion efforts. In fact, we encourage the conversation to be as open and collaborative as possible. We wele digital platforms such as Airbnb to the conversation, and the pany has worked with New Mexico munities in the past (Santa Fe, Taos) to create a solution together.
What is the ultimate solution? This legislation will achieve 3 goals for New Mexico: Who currently supports this bill? Lodgers Tax Talking Points 1. Need for Parity: Some rental properties gain a 12-15% petitive advantage over traditional lodging establishments by not paying Lodgers Tax or GRT. 2. Need for Unified Enforcement Definition: Exemption G functions as a tax loophole for these short-term rentals. The way a room is defined inconsistently in counties and municipalities throughout the state. This bill should alleviate those problems with a universal definition. 3. Need for a Statewide Solution: Removing Exemption G will formalize all short-term rental properties, streamline local enforcement efforts and create a level playing field for the entire lodging munity. Our list of supporters for this legislation ranges from municipalities to associations and hospitality businesses. Our plete list includes: American Hotel and Lodging Association New Mexico Municipal League New Mexico Association of Counties Visit Albuquerque Tourism Santa Fe Greater Albuquerque Innkeepers Association (GAIA) Santa Fe Lodgers Association Asian-American Hotel Owners Association City of Santa Fe City of Las Cruces City of Truth or Consequences Farmington Convention and Visitors Bureau Taos Ski Valley Angel Fire Resort Blackstone Hotsprings Premier Hospitality Las Cruces Hampton Inn & Suites (1641 Hickory Loop) Las Cruces Hampton Inn & Suites (I-25) Clovis Holiday Inn Express & Suites Clovis La Quinta Inn & Suites Hobbs Holiday Inn Express & Suites Hobbs Quality Inn & Suites
The New Mexico short-term rental market is no longer an afterthought The Findings How is this impacting tourism and your munity? With recent technology disruptions and online booking agents, the short-term rental market is now a major global tourism player. Airbnb, one of these online platforms, has surpassed Marriott International (the leading hotel chain in the world according to Smith Travel Research) in the number of rentable rooms across the globe. These properties largely operate in the dark without collecting tax (Gross Receipts Tax and Lodgers Tax) or plying with public safety regulations and licensing. Is this happening in New Mexico? YES! In Janurary 2017, New Mexico Hospitality Association missioned an independent census of the short-term rental market in New Mexico. This includes rental properties that are intended to be rented to consumers for less than 30 days. Statewide Initial Findings: 4,076 number of short term rental properties 9,296 number of short term rental rooms $2.6 million of potential revenue from Lodgers Tax* $4.3 million of potential revenue from Gross Receipts Tax* 76% of the properties were identified as multiple properties OWNED BY ONE OWNER *Revenue projections based on an Airbnb national average 40% occupancy rate and 50% pliance. National average occupancy rate estimate provided by Smith Travel Research (STR). What does this mean for NM? 1. Need for Parity Due to potentially avoiding Gross Receipts Tax and Lodgers Tax, some of these properties can have a 12% - 15% petitive advantage over traditional lodging establishments, depending on the GRT and Lodgers Tax rate of the munity. Even though many of these short-term rentals do not collect and contribute to Lodgers Tax, they are benefiting from contributions to Lodgers Tax from others that pays for marketing and promotion. 2. Need for Unified Enforcement Definition Exemption G of the Exemptions section of the Lodgers Tax Statute (3-38-16) is a tax loophole for these short-term rental properties. Properties with less than three rooms are exempt from the Lodgers Tax Statute, but the definition of a room is applied differently across counties and municipalities around the state. 3. Need for a Statewide Solution Removing Exemption G from the Exemptions section of the Lodgers Tax Statute (3-38- 16) will formalize all short-term rental properties, streamline local enforcement efforts, and create a level playing field for the entire lodging munity.
Senate Contact List District Name City Zip Phone Email SD 1 Bill Sharer Farmington 87499 bill@williamsharer. SD 2 Steven Neville Aztec 87410 (505) 327-5460 steven.neville@ SD 3 John Pinto Gallup 87301 (720) 357-9275 SD 4 George Munoz Gallup 87305 (505) 722-0191 senatormunoz@ gmail. SD 5 Richard Martinez Espanola 87532 (505) 747-2337 richard.martinez@nmlegis. SD 6 Carlos Cisneros Questa 87556 (505) 670-5610 carlos.cisneros@ SD 7 Pat Woods Broadview 88112 (575) 357-8594 pat.woods@ SD 8 Pete Campos Las Vegas 87701 (505) 425-0508 pete.campos@ SD 9 John Sapien Corrales 87048 (505) 765-5662 john.sapien@ SD 10 Candace Gould Albuquerque 87114 (505) 269-7711 candaceinvu@ aol. SD 11 Linda Lopez Albuquerque 87121 (505) 831-4148 linda.lopez@ SD 12 Gerald Ortiz y Pino Albuquerque 87102 (505) 243-1509 jortizyp@msn. SD 13 Bill O Neill Albuquerque 87114 (505) 450-9263 oneillsd13@ billoneillfornm. SD 14 Michael Padilla Albuquerque 87193 (505) 977-6247 michael.padilla@ SD 15 Daniel Ivey-Soto Albuquerque 87110-5662 (505) 881-4475 daniel.ivey-soto@ SD 16 Cisco McSorley Albuquerque 87106 (505) 266-0588 cisco.mcsorley@ SD 17 Mimi Stewart Albuquerque 87123 (505) 275-2355 mimi.stewart@
Senate Contact List SD 18 Bill Tallman Albuquerque 87111 (505) 702-6828 w.tallman5909@ cast.net SD 19 James P. White Albuquerque 87123 (505) 271-4746 james.white@ SD 20 Bill Payne Albuquerque 87191 (505) 986-4702 william.payne@ SD 21 Mark Moores Albuquerque 87199 (505) 681-1975 mark.moores@ SD 22 Benny Shendo Jemez Pueblo 87024 (575) 834-7235 benny.shendo@ SD 23 Sander Rue Albuquerque 87120 (505) 899-0288 sander.rue@ SD 24 Nancy Rodriguez Santa Fe 87501 (505) 983-8913 nancy.rodriguez@nmlegis. SD 25 Peter Wirth Santa Fe 87501 (505) 989-8667 peter.wirth@ SD 26 Jacob Candelaria Albuquerque 87120 (505) 847-5079 jacob.candelaria@ SD 27 Stuart Ingle Portales 88130 (575) 356-3088 stuart.ingle@ SD 28 Howie Morales Silver City 88061 (575) 574-0043 howie.morales@ SD 29 Greg Baca Belen 87002 (505) 227-6335 bacaforsenatenm@gmail. SD 30 Clemente Sanchez Grants 87020 (505) 287-2515 clemente.sanchez@nmlegis. Las Cruces 88001 (575) 522-3352 Joseph@cervanteslawnm. SD 31 Joseph Cervantes SD 32 Cliff Pirtle Roswell 88203 (575) 626-7046 cliff.pirtle@ SD 33 William Burt Alamogordo 88311 (575) 434-6140 bill.burt@ SD 34 Ron Griggs Alamogordo 88310 (575) 439-1331 ron.griggs@
Senate Contact List SD 35 John Arthur Smith Deming 88031 (575) 546-8546 john.smith@ SD 36 Jeff Steinborn Las Cruces 88004 (575) 635-5615 jeff.steinborn@ SD 37 Bill Soules Las Cruces 88011 (575) 522-3521 bill.soules@ SD 38 Mary Kay Papen Las Cruces 88005 (575) 524-4462 marykay.papen@ SD 39 Liz Stefanics Santa Fe 87508 (505) 471-7643 lstefanics@msn. SD 40 Craig Brandt Rio Rancho 87144 (505) 503-5001 craig.brandt@ SD 41 Carroll Levell Jal 88252 (575) 395-3154 leavell4@leaco. net SD 42 Gay Kernan Hobbs 88240 (505) 629-8081 gay.kernan@
House Contact List District Name City Zip Phone Email HD 1 Rod Montoya Farmington 87402 (505) 360-1510 roddmontoya@gmail. HD 2 RJ Strickler Farmington 87401 (505) 327-4190 jamesstrickler@msn. HD 3 Paul Bandy Aztec 87410 (505) 334-0865 paul@paulbandy.org HD 4 Sharon Clahchischilliage Kirtland 87417 (505) 686-0836 sharon.clahchischill@ HD 5 D. Wonda Johnson Church Rock 87311 dwonda.johnson@ HD 6 Eliseo Alcon Milan 87021 (505) 285-6387 eliseo.alcon@ HD 7 Kelly Fajardo Belen 87002 (505) 573-0471 kelly.fajardo@ HD 8 Alonzo Baldonado Los Lunas 87031 (505) 363-6214 alonzo.baldonado@ HD 9 Patty Lundstrom Gallup 87301 (505) 722-2980 patricia.lundstrom@ HD 10 Andres Romero Albuquerque 87105 (505) 514-9574 andres.romero@nmlegis. HD 11 Javier Martinez Albuquerque 87104 (505) 289-3939 javier.martinez@nmlegis. HD 12 Patricio Ruiloba Albuquerque 87105 (505) 417-1749 patricio.ruiloba@nmlegis. HD 13 Patricia Roybal Caballero Albuquerque 87195 (505) 710-5996 pat.roybalcaballero@ HD 14 Miguel P. Garcia Albuquerque 87105 (505) 877-8131 miguel.garcia@nmlegis. HD 15 Sarah Maestas Barnes Albuquerque 87184-0154 (505) 847-6391 sarah.maestasbarnes@ HD 16 Moe Maestas Albuquerque 87120 (505) 304-7497 antonio.maestas@ HD 17 Debbie Armstrong Albuquerque 87107 (505) 795-5164 deborah.armstrong@ HD 18 Gail Chasey Albuquerque 87108 (505) 266-5191 gail@gailchasey. HD 19 Sheryl Williams Stapleton Albuquerque 87125 (505) 265-6089 sheryl.stapleton@ HD 20 Jim Dines Albuquerque 87123 (505) 400-8316 jim.dines@
HD 21 Debbie Sarinana House Contact List Albuquerque 87123 (505) 974-9408 debbiesarinanafornewmexico@gmail. HD 22 Jim Smith Sandia Park 87047 (505) 934-1075 jim@jimsmithnm. HD 23 Daymon Ely Corrales 87048 (505) 610-6529 daymon@daymonely. HD 24 Liz Thomson Albuquerque 87112 (505) 239-1781 leonliz@cast.net HD 25 Christine Trujillo Albuquerque 87110 (505) 503-8600 christine.trujillo@ HD 26 Georgene Louis Albuquerque 87195 (505) 250-7932 georgene.louis@nmlegis. HD 27 Larry Larranaga Albuquerque 87109 (505) 821-4948 larry@larranaga. HD 28 Jimmie Hall Albuquerque 87111 (505) 294-6178 jimmie.hall@ HD 29 David Adkins Albuquerque 87199-2918 (505) 289-3987 david.adkins@nmlegis. HD 30 Nate Gentry Albuquerque 87110 (505) 508-0782 natefornm@gmail. HD 31 Bill Rehm Albuquerque 87191 (505)259-3398 bill.rehm@ HD 32 Candie Sweetser Deming 88030 (575) 546-2915 csweetser@swnm. HD 33 Bill McCamley Mesilla Park 88048 (575) 496-5731 bill.mccamley@nmlegis. HD 34 Bealquin Bill Gomez La Mesa 88044 (575) 233-3040 bealquin.gomez@ HD 35 Angelica Rubio Las Cruces 88005 (575) 616-1151 angelica@rubionm35. HD 36 Nathan Small Las Cruces 88005 (575) 496-9540 NATHAN.P.SMALL@ GMAIL.COM HD 37 Joanne Ferrary Las Cruces 88012 (575) 382-6425 ferraryrep37@gmail. HD 38 Rebecca Dow Truth or Consequences 87901 (575) 342-1302 rebecca@dowforhouse. HD 39 Rodolpho Martinez Silver City 88061 (575) 534-7546 rudy_s_martinez@msn. HD 40 Nick Salazar Ohkay Owingeh 87566 (505) 852-4178
House Contact List HD 41 Debbie Rodella Espanola 87532 (505) 753-8247 debbie.rodella@nmlegis. HD 42 Bobby Gonzales Ranchos de Taos 87557 (575) 758-2674 roberto.gonzales@ HD 43 Stephanie Garcia Richard Los Alamos 87544 (505) 672-4196 stephanie.garciarichard@ HD 44 Jane Powdrell-Culbert Corrales 87048 (505) 721-9021 jpandp@cast.net HD 45 Jim Trujillo Santa Fe 87505 (505) 438-8890 jimtrujillo@msn. HD 46 Carl Trujillo Santa Fe 87506 (505) 699-6690 carl.trujillo@ HD 47 Brian Egolf Santa Fe 87501 brian.egolf@ HD 48 Linda Trujillo Santa Fe 87507 (505) 795-4324 Linda4santafe@gmail. HD 49 Don Tripp Socorro 87801 (575) 835-0766 trippsdon@netscape.net HD 50 Matthew Mc- Queen Santa Fe 87508 matthew.mcqueen@ HD 51 Yvette Herrell Alamogordo 88311 (575) 430-2113 yherrell@yahoo. HD 52 Doreen Gallegos Las Cruces 88011 (575) 649-6325 doreen.gallegos@nmlegis. HD 53 Ricky Little Chaparral 88081 (575) 824-4063 rick.little@ HD 54 Jim Townsend Artesia 88210 (575) 703-0153 townsend@pvtn.net HD 55 Cathrynn Brown Carlsbad 88220 (575) 706-4420 c.brown.nm55@gmail. HD 56 Zach Cook Ruidoso 88345 (575) 937-7644 zachary.cook@nmlegis. HD 57 Jason Harper Rio Rancho 87144 (505) 554-7970 JasonHarperNM@gmail. HD 58 Candy Spence Roswell 88202 (575) 625-0550 csecows@aol. Ezzell HD 59 Greg Nibert Roswell 88201 (575) 622-6510 gnibert@hinklelawfirm. HD 60 Tim Lewis Rio Rancho 87174 lewisfornm@gmail. HD 61 David Gallegos Eunice 88231 (575) 394-0099 david.rsi@hotmail. HD 62 Larry Scott Hobbs 88241 (575) 392-5960 larry.scott@
House Contact List HD 63 George Dodge Santa Rosa 88435 (575) 472-3798 george.dodgejr@nmlegis. HD 64 Randy Crowder Clovis 88101 (575) 763-3901 randal.crowder@nmlegis. HD 65 Derrick Lente Sandia Pueblo 87004 (505) 507-3063 info@derrickjlente. HD 66 Bob Wooley Roswell 88201 (575) 627-6277 bobwooley66@gmail. HD 67 Dennis Roch Logan 88426 (575) 799-7796 denroch@hotmail. HD 68 Monica Youngblood Albuquerque 87114 (505) 342-6250 monica@mynmstaterep. HD 69 Harry Garcia Grants 87020 (505) 290-7510 hgarciad69@gmail. HD 70 Tomas Salazar Las Vegas 87701 (575) 421-2455 tomas.salazar@nmlegis.