Guests at St Joseph hotels and motels will soon pay a six percent tax to fund downtown and riverfront development in the city.  Voters approved the measure to double the tax Tuesday.

About ten percent of eligible voters cast ballots Tuesday.  Last year, voters turned down a larger increase in the tax.  This year, supporters included a 20-year sunset clause and earmarked the revenues.

According to the Buchanan County Clerk’s Office, 2,884 voters (58.37%) said “yes,” while, 2,057 (41.63%) voted “no.”  Here is the official tabulation from clerk’s office.

The tax is targeted to a possible downtown events center, along with improvements along the Missouri River.  It’s expected to generate about $500,000 a year.