STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

The City of Sun Valley is throwing on Open House tonight to acquaint residents with the Local Option Tax Renewal on the November ballot.

The Open House will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. tonight—Thursday, Oct. 9—at Sun Valley City Hall. Refreshments will be served.

The Sun Valley City council is asking residents to renew the city’s current Local Option Tax (LOT) in the Nov. 4, 2025, election. The tax is applied to categories like lodging, restaurant food and beverage, retail sales and ski lift tickets.

These are things that typically pertain to vacationers with the idea that the taxes will help pay for road and path maintenance and police and firefighters service that are impacted by the influx of vacationers and second homeowners.

The number of visitors, second homeowners and part-time residents often triples the official population of 1,771 counted in the census.

LOT taxes are not property taxes but more akin to sales taxes on tour-related items.

The renewal of the LOT Tax would mean no change to current rates, which are 3 percent for hotel and motel rooms, short-term rentals and restaurant food and beverages. They’re 2 percent for retail sales, 1 percent for ski lift tickets and 1 percent for building and construction materials.

Sun Valley raised $2.78 million from LOT in fiscal year 2025.The taxes were primarily used for public safety with law enforcement, fire protection and emergency medical services totaling more than $5.5 million in fiscal year 2025.

This vote does not affect the 1 Percent for Air Tax, which is used for air service and housing.

Early voting takes place from Oct. 14-31. Mail absentee ballots can be requested at voteidaho.gov.