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Port Orchard council adopts 2025 lodging tax allocations, sets aside $10,000 for FIFA 2026 marketing
Summary
Council accepted the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee’s 2025 recommendations, awarding funds to local events and marketing programs and recommending $10,000 for FIFA 2026 marketing after the committee reopened submissions to consider FIFA‑related proposals.
Port Orchard — The City Council on May 13 adopted a resolution accepting the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee’s recommendations for 2025 funding allocations, including a $10,000 recommendation to support FIFA 2026 marketing activities.
Miss Wallace, city staff who presented the report, summarized that the committee reviewed applications over several meetings and reopened the process at the council’s request to accept proposals specific to FIFA 2026 marketing. She said the committee found applicants generally “do tremendous amounts of work either by putting on events, which results into more tourism traffic and or by increasing the sales tax dollars from eating and shopping in the city.”
The committee recommended the following allocations (request → recommended): - Fathoms of Fun: requested $53,000 → recommended $28,000 - Kitsap Mustang Club: requested $4,000 → recommended $2,500 - Polis Theater: requested $4,000 → recommended $3,000 - Portage and Bay Street Association: requested $34,722.20 → recommended $25,000 - South Kitsap Chamber of Commerce (tourism marketing): requested $9,810 → recommended $5,500 - South Kitsap Chamber of Commerce (event operations/marketing): requested $34,638 → recommended $25,000 - Saints Car Club: requested $10,000 → recommended $6,000 - Visit Kitsap: requested $5,000 → recommended $5,000 - Lee Washington (event marketing/operations): requested $5,000 → (committee allocation withdrawn by another applicant earlier and funds reassigned) - FIFA‑related marketing (county/region fan‑zone marketing): requested $15,000 → recommended $10,000
Miss Wallace and the finance director explained the biennial lodging tax estimate used by the committee. Director Crocker said finance estimated roughly $100,000 per year in lodging tax funds for the biennium, and staff noted additional available funds resulted from underspending in prior years and higher projected revenues. Crocker said the council could program additional dollars during the midyear budget review if it chose to add funds for FIFA or other items.
Council Member Morrissey moved to adopt the resolution; Council Member Rosa Pepe seconded. The council discussed the allocations and supportive remarks from several council members emphasized preserving funding to support FIFA planning next year. The resolution passed by voice vote.
Staff and council members repeated that eligible lodging tax expenses must follow state rules (marketing and tourism‑related operations that generate room nights) and that the clerk’s office audits reimbursement requests before payment.
