The Hayward City Council will consider a proposal on December 16, 2025, to raise the city’s Transit Occupancy Tax (TOT) from 12 percent to 14 percent. The TOT, or hotel tax, applies to guests staying in Hayward hotels and short-term lodging. City officials say the increase would help address a budget deficit in the General Fund, which pays for police, fire, and emergency medical services.
Hayward’s TOT rate was 8.5 percent in 2020, the lowest in the region at that time, according to a city analysis. In November 2020, voters approved Measure NN, which allows the city to raise the TOT rate up to 14 percent. The council delayed the increase during the pandemic and later raised the rate to 12 percent on July 1, 2025…