Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the law had been passed. In fact, a public hearing will be held Sept. 12 to receive comments on the proposed law. After the hearing, the county will vote on whether to pass the law. NorthCountryNow.com regrets the error.

By JIMMY LAWTON

CANTON -- St. Lawrence County is working to modernize its “room occupancy law” by including an often-overlooked model of lodging that has become popularized by services like Airbnb.

Before the changes become effective, a public hearing will need to be held and the new law must be approved by the legislature. On Monday the county set a hearing date for Sept. 12.

The proposed law requires operators of lodging facilities to collect a 3 percent tax from guests who rent space for temporary stays.

Historically the ”bed tax” targeted hotels and motels, but much like Uber changed the pay-to-ride industry, similar technology has made it easier for individuals to generate income by renting space to visitors.

County Attorney Stephen Button described the existing law as “dated.” He said it failed to specifically include income generating hotel competitors who rent living space to visitors.

“We are behind in making changes to our occupancy law,” he said, adding that Franklin and Jefferson counties had updated their laws sometime ago.

On Monday the county set a public hearing to adopt the new law, which now clearly identifies what companies or individuals should be charging an occupancy tax. The hearing will be Sept. 12.

Button said the county won’t be raising the 3 percent tax paid for temporary lodging, but rather the modified law includes modern options that were previously left out.

Button added that St. Lawrence County charges the state allowed minimum. He said the goal of the changes is simply to ensure everyone is paying their fair share.

Button said roughly 80 St. Lawrence County properties are being rented through Airbnb, which allows people interested in renting out space to travelers to advertise via its app and website.

Button was uncertain how much revenue the county might expect to collect from the expanded law, but added that the goal was to modernize it. The law was established in 1991 and had not been updated since 2004.

Button said the industry has changed significantly since that time.