Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, the city of Quincy is hereby authorized to establish and maintain in the city treasury a special fund to be known as the Open Space, Park and Recreation and Tourism Fund, into which shall be deposited all receipts from the local room occupancy tax received by the city of Quincy under the provisions of section 3A of chapter 64G of the General Laws, as set forth in sections 2 and 3, as well as any grants, gifts, or donations made to the city of Quincy in furtherance of the purposes of this act.

SECTION 2. The city of Quincy is hereby authorized to impose a local room occupancy tax pursuant to the following schedule:

(a) commencing July 1, 2001, 1 per cent of the total amount of rent for each such occupancy;

(b) commencing July 1, 2002, 2 per cent of the total amount of rent for each such occupancy;

(c) commencing July 1, 2003, 3 per cent of the total amount of rent for each such occupancy;

(d) commencing July 1, 2004, 4 per cent of the total amount of rent for each such occupancy.

SECTION 3. The Open Space, Park and Recreation and Tourism fund shall be maintained by the treasurer of the city of Quincy as a separate account. Any interest earned on any fund balance shall be credited to and become part of said fund. Upon the recommendation of the mayor of the city of Quincy and upon the majority vote of the Quincy city council, the city of Quincy may appropriate such sums as may be available in said fund for the purposes of tourism, historical preservation, tree plantings, acquiring land and interests in land for open space, conservation, the construction or reconstruction of parks, the construction or reconstruction of recreational areas, the construction or reconstruction or maintenance or restoration of beaches, the construction or reconstruction or maintenance of seawalls, the restoration or maintenance of wetlands and the restoration or maintenance of ecological areas, but expenditures for historical preservation and tourism shall be 15 per cent of the local room occupancy tax receipts for the fiscal year. The auditor of the city of Quincy shall forward to the mayor and the city council a report of said fund on the cash basis within 90 days after the end of the fiscal year.

SECTION 4. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2001.