BI Council approves $400,000 in lodging tax funding

Published 1:30 am Thursday, April 16, 2026

The Bainbridge Island City Council approved $400,000 in lodging tax funding at its April 14 meeting. The Lodging Tax Advisory Committee received 13 requests for fiscal year 2026 totaling $659,735. Eleven of those requests were approved with the amount of funding dollars recommended by LTAC.

The approved funding recommendations are as follows: Arts and Humanities Bainbridge $9,000, Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network $18,000, Bainbridge Island Chamber of Commerce $90,000, Bainbridge Island Downtown Association $70,000, Bainbridge Island Historical Museum $10,000, Bainbridge Island Parks and Trails Foundation $5,000, Bainbridge Island Museum of Art $18,000, Bainbridge Youth Services $5,000, Bloedel Reserve $5,000, Kids Discovery Museum $5,000, and Visit Bainbridge Island $165,000.

The two eligible applicants for LTAC funding that were denied any funding included Bainbridge Prepares and the Washington Museum Association.

Interim city manager Ellen Schroer shared that the goal of these funds is to work on economic development and tourism on Bainbridge Island. After three meetings in March, the committee met all 13 applicants, saw presentations on their requests, and the delayed award cycle for the lodging tax funding recommendations was presented to council for consideration, shared Schroer.