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Clallam County lodging-tax receipts up year to date; staff projects roughly $2.08 million in year-end reserves
Summary
County finance staff reported lodging-tax revenues through March 2025 rose about 18.8% year over year, with year-to-date receipts of $290,433; staff projected a year-end reserve of about $2,075,005 if no further grant awards are made.
Clallam County finance staff told the county Lodging Tax Advisory Committee on April 2025 that the county has collected $290,433 in transient lodging tax through March, an 18.8% increase compared with the same period last year.
“Through March we have generated $290,433,” said Mark Lane, chief financial officer for Clallam County. Lane told the committee March receipts reflect lodging activity with a reporting lag and said staff adjusted projections conservatively because of uncertainty about Canadian visitation trends.
Lane said expenditures year-to-date total $896,863, leaving a fund balance of approximately $107,352.83 at the end of March. Using conservative assumptions and assuming no additional grant awards beyond the committee’s current budgeted commitments, he projected a reserved balance of $2,075,005.71 for the lodging-tax fund at year end.
Lane cautioned the projection assumes flat revenue after the March gains and that the county will monitor April and May remittances for evidence of a slowdown. “We are assuming flat growth year over year,” he said. He noted March revenues primarily reflect January stays because of the reporting lag used by the Department of Revenue.
Committee members asked about reserve policy and the practical floor for the lodging-tax fund. Lane said the county has not set a formal floor; historically the county has kept roughly one year’s revenue in reserve. When asked whether there is a legal cap or mandatory minimum, Lane said there is not one codified for this fund.
Committee members who represent lodging operators described booking patterns that match Lane’s caution. Several said they continue to see late bookings and localized strength for weekends but that some events and Canadian-sourced visitation are down compared with prior years.
The committee agreed to continue monitoring receipts closely and to consider reserves and pending grant requests before approving further awards.
Ending: The committee planned to proceed with scheduled grant reviews and to re-check revenue receipts in April and May before finalizing additional awards or changing reserve guidance.
