Sunnyside lodging-tax advisory committee flags accounting gaps, sets RFP schedule for 2026 funds

Sunnyside City’s Lodging Tax Advisory Committee on Aug. 20 reviewed unfinished financial reconciliations, delayed reimbursements to event organizers and the scope of a city marketing contract, and agreed to a revised solicitation schedule for 2026 lodging-tax funds.

Committee members were told by finance staff that account reconciliations dating to May 2024 were not completed and that beginning balances were recorded as journal entries rather than as actuals, forcing staff to “undo and redo” prior work before the committee can rely on the ledger, Monica, finance department, said during the meeting. The committee discussed several consequences: missing months of reported lodging-tax receipts, delayed reimbursements to event organizers and uncertainty about the true beginning balance for 2026 budgeting.

The comment matters because the city’s lodging-tax fund is restricted for tourism and event promotion and committee recommendations feed the City Council’s funding decisions. Committee members referenced roughly $100,000 set aside for marketing and said they need clearer, auditable numbers before finalizing a 2026 spending plan.

Most important facts

Monica, identified in the meeting as a finance department staffer, told the committee she had “just got access” to the accounting journals and found that prior staff had not completed reconciliations: “None of the reconciliations were done. So I’m still undoing and redoing all reconciliations from 2024…