A proposed tax on hotels and motels was presented Tuesday night to the Village Board and is expected to be approved next month, even though it will not generate revenue.
There are no hotels or motels in New Lenox, but village officials expect that to change when Interstate Highway 355 is linked with Interstate Highway 80, according to Village Administrator Russ Loebe.
The linkage is expected to bring commercial development through the area, increasing the need for hotels and motels for business travelers.
Revenues from the hotel-motel tax are targeted for financing economic development and can be used to market New Lenox as a good business location, Loebe said.
The ordinance calls for a village tax of 5 percent of the gross rental charge for lodging in a hotel or motel.