Arlington City opens 2026 tourism grant applications; 5 p.m. June 13 deadline

Arlington City Finance Director Kristen Garcia announced that applications for the city’s 2026 tourism (lodging tax) grant program are available online and must be received by 5 p.m. June 13, 2025, to be considered.

The grant program reimburses qualifying tourism promotion and event costs; applicants must provide at least a 25% match and successful applicants will enter into a professional services agreement, Garcia said. "Applications are available on the City's website at www.arlingtonwa.gov," she said.

The application packet, Garcia said, explains who may apply, eligible and excluded costs, submission methods and new scoring criteria. Applicants may be private businesses, nonprofits or government entities so long as the application documents a qualifying event. Qualifying events are "set by state law," Garcia said. Capital expenditures are eligible only for municipalities; salaries and benefits, alcohol and giveaway items such as gift bags or event merchandise are excluded from reimbursement but may be counted toward the 25% match.

Garcia described other eligibility and documentation requirements: a completed application, two letters of recommendation (the prior requirement that one letter be from a hotel has been removed), a completed W-9, federal employer identification (EIN) and UBI numbers, and, for organizations with boards, minutes authorizing the application. The finance director said applicants should include the project sponsor’s contact information and a certification signed by a person legally able to bind the organization.

The application asks for details the review committee will use in scoring. New or clarified requests include a history of previously awarded lodging tax funds (year, amount and project title), an explanation of other income sources such as admission fees or sponsorships, and a marketing narrative describing how the project will attract visitors from outside Arlington City. Garcia listed hotels within Arlington City limits that applicants should note when describing local lodging partnerships: Best Western Plus, Quality Inn, Medallion Inn and Suites, Smoky Point Motor Inn and Arlington Motor Inn.

Garcia said the committee will not allocate funding solely by raw score; it will also weigh completeness of the application, the amount and type of matching funds (cash matches may score higher), whether the proposal clearly contributes to tourism goals, whether the project is new, and other factors. Two new rating criteria are: (1) whether a project funded three or more years shows measurable enhancement or expansion, and (2) whether projects demonstrate other sources of income. Garcia warned that projects that do not meet the 25% match may be ineligible or receive reduced awards.

Award letters and grant contracts are expected to be mailed in July 2025, Garcia said. Funding will be provided on a reimbursement basis only: expenses incurred between Oct. 1, 2025 and Dec. 31, 2026 to plan or run the 2026 event are eligible but payments will be reimbursed beginning Jan. 1, 2026; final reimbursement requests must be received by Jan. 7, 2027. Garcia emphasized that reimbursements will not be paid until the annual expenditure report has been received and that final requests must include that report.

How to submit: Garcia said applicants may email completed applications to kgarcia@arlingtonwa.gov, mail or drop them off at City Hall, 238 North Olympic Drive, first-floor finance office. She advised applicants to verify receipt if they are concerned about on-time delivery and offered direct assistance: "If you have any questions at any time during the process, please feel free to reach out to me directly, Kristen Garcia, at (360) 403-3431."