JON: TO BRING MORE CROWDS LIKE THIS TO TOWN, BIRMINGHAM WANTS TO BOOST THE COST TO STAY IN ITS HOTELS. CITY COUNCILOR WILLIAM PARKER BELIEVES A $3 NIGHTLY SURCHARGE GIVES THEM THE RECRUITING POWER THEY NEED. WILLIAM PARKER: IT COMES OUT TO ROUGHLY $3 MILLION TO $4 MILLION A YEAR IN ADDITIONAL REVENUE THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO USE TO ATTRACT SPORTING AND ENTERTAINMENT EVENTS HERE WITHIN THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM. JON: PARKER SAID HE IS MODELING THE INCREASE AFTER PLANS RECENTLY PASSED BY HOOVER AND HUNTSVILLE. BUT ALABAMA’S HOTEL ASSOCIATION BELIEVES THE LODGING TAX RATES IN THOSE CITIES FALL BELOW BIRMINGHAM’S. >> THEY DID NOT START OF AS HIGH EITHER. BIRMINGHAM IS ALREADY AT 17.5. JON: SHE SAYS WHEN YOU TALK ON THE SURCHARGE FOR DOWNTOWN HOTELS, IT WOULD RAISE THE LODGING TAX TO 20.7% WHICH SHE SAYS WOULD BE THE THIRD HIGHEST AMONG THE NATION. >> I THINK IT COULD HAVE THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE OF DRIVING AWAY GROUP BUSINESS. JON: THAT’S WHY SHE IS ASKING BIRMINGHAM TO CHOP THE INCREASE IN HALF AND GIVE SOME OF THE REVENUE TO THE CONVENTION AND VISITOR’S BUREAU. COULD THEIR COUNTER-PROPOSAL DERAIL PARKER’S PLAN? WILLIAM PARKER: VERY OPTIMISTIC THAT WE WILL HAVE THE $3 SURCHARGE IN PLACE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS. JON: AND IF IT PASSES THAT EXTRA , HOTEL REVENUE COULD ST