§306. Referendum

            A. Any hotel assessment to be levied pursuant to this Chapter shall be approved by a vote of the assessed hotels in a referendum conducted in accordance with this Section. A referendum of all assessed hotels shall be called by the president of the Greater New Orleans Hotel and Lodging Association, by written notice mailed to all hotel operators identified by the tourism organization as its members in accordance with such procedures as the tourism organization may establish in its discretion. In any referendum, each assessed hotel shall have a number of votes equal to the number of its hotel rooms as shown on its occupational license. In any referendum, two-thirds of the votes cast shall be required to approve or ratify any hotel assessment.

            B. The written notice of the referendum shall include a description of any proposed hotel assessment, including the effective date thereof, a ballot, and a statement of the referendum period, which shall be not less than thirty days from the date of the mailing of the notice and a ballot. Ballots may be delivered to the Greater New Orleans Hotel and Lodging Association, or any other person designated for the purpose of receiving, tabulating and counting ballots at any time during the referendum period. The Greater New Orleans Hotel and Lodging Association may, in its discretion, extend the referendum period not more than fifteen additional days. At the close of the referendum period, the Greater New Orleans Hotel and Lodging Association, or other person designated for the purpose of receiving, tabulating and counting ballots shall count and tabulate the ballots received during the referendum period. All ballots shall be presumed to be valid. A notice of the results of the referendum shall be mailed by the Greater New Orleans Hotel and Lodging Association, or any other person designated for the purpose of receiving, tabulating and counting ballots to the tourism organization and the assessed hotels.

            C. The costs of the referendum, in the first instance, shall be paid by the tourism organization and shall be reimbursed from hotel assessments as received.

            Acts 2015, No. 265, §1.