JEFFERSON CITY — An association of hotel and motel operators has filed a lawsuit against Jefferson City, alleging that the city's lodging tax violates city and state statutes, as well as the Missouri Constitution.

Jefferson City's lodging tax, which is paid by visitors to the city who stay in hotels or rentals, expires in 2035 but is up for renewal in an election next week . Proposition A on the Nov. 4 ballot would renew the lodging tax through 2060.

The lawsuit, filed by the Jefferson City Lodging Association in the Cole County Circuit Court at the end of last week, challenges the tax's distribution of revenue to a fund to build a new conference center in downtown Jefferson City .

About 57% of the funds generated by the tax go toward the conference center fund . The rest of the

See Full Page