The City of Hazard’s 3% restaurant tax is over for now.
On Tuesday, the Hazard City Commission unanimously voted to temporarily suspend the tax which was implemented January 1, 2025.
It was collected for a while until lawsuits started, and the money is sitting in escrow.
The city was approved for the tax by the Franklin Circuit Court but that was overruled by the state’s Court of Appeals due to Hazard’s city size.
Hazard Mayor Happy Mobelini tells WYMT several larger cities use the tax help with tourism without putting a large burden on residents.
He says he plans to take it to the Supreme Court.