Washington County commissioners are supporting an effort by hotel and motel operators to ban billboards and highway signs listing room prices.
The hotel and motel operators told commissioners that they are being underpriced by casino operators in Nevada who offer room prices subsidized by gaming revenues.The commission has given the hotel and motel operators a letter supporting their drive to ban room prices from billboards. The proposed legislation is similar to a Nevada law that prohibits such signs in the Silver State.
Resort operators place such signs in California, Arizona and Utah.
Dean Terry, owner of the St. George Holiday Inn and spokesman for the hotel-motel association, says St. George is losing $109,000 a year in bed taxes because of the signs.
Terry said one sign near St. George advertises $18 rooms in Mesquite, Nev. Rooms in St. George range from $27 to $60.