 It's echoes of the past for the Bemidji City Council as it looks to try again for a hospitality tax. The proposed tax would be used to fund the Sanford Center without using property taxes. The people that are talking to me own houses and they would like to see a property tax reduction. They would like to see, well, at least any future increases in our need to support the Sanford Center. During Monday's work session, council members agreed to form a committee to help develop their proposal. It was mentioned that while there is support for property tax relief, what the new tax supports could be in question. Everybody kind of just about having property tax money go into the event center. There's an appetite for it, but I think there's concern in the community about it just going towards the Sanford Centers. As the Bemidji City Council takes another crack at a hospitality tax, the hope is to have a united front, and that issues from the past don't resurface. Councilmember Johnson echoed concerns from the past when support for the proposed tax faded. A lot of people don't feel we're running that place efficiently and properly. That's just about a mind. If you ask them, and I've asked plenty of them, that's the reason they don't support the event center. We haven't done anything to show that we're trying to reduce the operational deficit. We haven't done a thing. But as the council looks to start the year off with a fresh start, the outlook is positive and to focus on the current need. I don't really want to rehash all that past. What I'd like to do is have this committee do some of those things, Ron, and figure out a strategy, why it makes sense, and then invite stakeholder groups into the discussion. Councilmembers agreed to have city staff move forward with the creation of a hospitality tax committee, while drumming up support from community partners to take the tax proposal to the next step. In Bemidji, Josh Peterson, Lakeland News. In order for the city to implement a special tax, it must receive approval from the state legislature. If you enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland PBS.