Vote yes on Ingham tourism and entertainment ballot proposal | Opinion
Randy Maiville and Thomas Morgan
For the Lansing State Journal
July 22, 2026, 7:00 a.m. ET
Imagine Ingham County on a summer weekend five years from now. A regional music festival draws thousands of visitors to a newly renovated county fairgrounds. Art installations animate storefronts and public spaces, from Old Town in Lansing to downtown Leslie.
Hotel rooms across the county are booked. Restaurants are full. Artists who grew up here chose to stay, and artists from elsewhere chose to come. That is not a fantasy — it is a realistic picture of what sustained, strategic investment in arts, culture and tourism can produce.
As Ingham County commissioners, we represent different areas of the county. One of our districts is urban, while one is mostly rural. One of us is a Democrat, the other a Republican. But we are on the same page when it comes to supporting the Ingham County Tourism, Entertainment Facilities and Arts Proposal, which appears in the nonpartisan section of the Aug. 4 ballot.
Like in communities throughout the nation, Ingham County has had a hotel fee for over 50 years. Revenues are dedicated to promoting tourism across the county, supporting arts and entertainment organizations, and improving convention and fairground facilities to make Ingham County more attractive to residents and visitors alike.
County residents do not pay this fee unless they stay overnight in a hotel, motel or short-term rental in Ingham County. For an average hotel room costing $130 per night, this proposal will increase visitors’ hotel fee by about $4 — a fraction of what a visitor typically spends on a single meal during their stay, and still far less than what visitors pay in Grand Rapids, Detroit and elsewhere.
This essentially invisible increase for mostly business travelers will result in a significant and impactful increase in the financial rettract conventions, sporting events and other activities that both local citizens and visitors value and enjoy. On top of that, every dollar spent by a visitor at a local hotel, restaurant or shop circulates through our economy, supporting jobs for our neighbors
Strengthening support for the Ingham County fairgrounds in Mason is a top priority. The fairgrounds host amazing events throughout the year, from the county fair itself to dozens of horse shows, outdoor expos, craft and antique shows, and more. Many of these facilities are aging and in need of repair. Making much-needed improvements to the fairgrounds will enhance its ability to host even more events that appeal to county residents, and draw in tourists who bring new dollars to our community by staying overnight in area hotels, eating at local restaurants, and shopping at local merchants.
Supporting arts and entertainment organizations is also important to strengthen the kinds of activities that attract visitors from across the state and nation. Music festivals, art shows and cultural events help create a more vibrant community that appeals to both residents and visitors. These organizations often run on tight budgets and rely on this kind of dedicated funding to survive and grow.
As a Democrat and a Republican, we don’t agree on everything, but we agree that this is a fiscally responsible way to grow our local economy without raising taxes or fees on county residents. Whether you are voting early, by absentee ballot, or going to the polls on Tuesday, Aug. 4, we hope you will cast a vote in favor of this proposal. It is a modest investment, paid mostly by visitors, that will deliver big results for Ingham County residents.
Randy Maiville (R-Onondaga) and Thomas Morgan (D-Lansing) serve on the Ingham County Board of Commissioners.
