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Polk County allocates hotel‑motel tax evenly to three tourism entities with caps
Summary
Polk County Commissioners Court approved on May 13 a new plan to distribute hotel‑motel occupancy tax revenue equally among three local entities, each with a $30,000 annual cap, and to reserve the remaining 25% for county events.
Polk County Commissioners Court approved a reallocation of the county’s hotel‑motel occupancy tax revenue on May 13, establishing equal shares for three entities and reserving a portion for county-sponsored events.
Commissioner Robertson said a review committee recommended new agreements effective Oct. 1, 2025, under which the Polk County Chamber of Commerce, the Polk County Higher Education & Technology Foundation (the Commerce Center) and the Polk County Historical Commission would each receive 25% of the county’s annual hotel‑motel tax revenue, with an annual funding cap of $30,000 per entity. The remaining 25% would be reserved for county‑sponsored events and initiatives.
Treasurer Terry Williams and the review committee provided a list of recurring outside entities that have historically requested hotel‑motel funds and a copy of the current agreement for the chamber. A county representative noted that hotel‑motel funds "must be used for very, very specific things" and that items on the committee list would qualify under the statute governing occupancy-tax expenditures.
Commissioner Robertson made the motion to adopt the recommended distribution; the motion carried on a voice vote.
The court directed staff to prepare the new agreements consistent with the Oct. 1, 2025 effective date and the $30,000 cap per entity, and to include the county’s remaining 25% for county‑sponsored events and initiatives.
