Lodging taxes will be the topic

Published 10:25 am Sunday, May 1, 2016

Bainbridge Island will host two workshops next month that will detail how lodging tax funds are used to pay for projects in the community.

The first workshop is 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 11 in council chambers at city hall.

Cindy Evans, manager for legal affairs from the Washington State Auditor’s Office, will talk about the purpose and process for lodging taxes in Washington state. There will also be a question-and-answer period.

The meeting will be followed by a stakeholder workshop from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 16 in council chambers at city hall. The purpose of the second workshop is to give community members a chance to share feedback on the city’s annual award process and discuss ideas for potential changes.

Last year’s grant awards made by the city from lodging tax collections were highly controversial.

Members of the Bainbridge Island Lodging Association raised concerns after the association was not awarded funding to continue its marketing efforts to attract overnight visitors to the island. The association said the city’s Lodging Tax Advisory Committee did not use the evaluation criteria and weighting scale that had been formally adopted by the city council to help decide which groups should get funding. The association was also concerned that community events that largely serve locals — such as downtown Winslow’s Halloween trick-or-treat event, the July 3 street dance and Fourth of July celebration — received thousands of dollars in city support but don’t attract tourists who stay the night.

City officials said the upcoming meetings would be an opportunity for those who seek lodging tax funding to learn more about lodging taxes while also helping the city improve the administration and effectiveness of its current program.