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LTAC considers front-loading marketing funds, 5% admin allocation and other policy tweaks
Summary
The Lodging Tax Advisory Committee is recommending policy changes to allow up to 40% of lodging-tax awards to be advanced for event marketing and to allocate up to 5% of lodging-tax revenues for administration, among other proposals, LTAC leaders told the council on July 15.
At the July 15 meeting Deputy Mayor reported several proposed changes being advanced by the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) intended to improve event success and streamline administration. The deputy mayor said the LTAC voted to allow recipients to use up to 40% of their lodging-tax award for preparatory marketing expenses so events can front-load marketing rather than relying solely on post-event reimbursement. "We would allow 40% of lodging tax funding per recipient to be used for preparatory marketing expenses before the event," the deputy mayor said. The committee also recommended a 5% allocation of lodging-tax revenue for administrative costs to cover staff time for application processing and program administration; LTAC discussed capping that allocation at $40,000 annually. The deputy mayor said the one-time change responds to increased staff time and digital application processing demands and that neighboring jurisdictions commonly set aside a portion for administration. LTAC is also considering a $5,000 minimum award so recipients can feasibly use the funds and a $25,000 cap for funding awards to tourism-related facilities located outside the City of Lacey or its urban growth area. Applications for LTAC grants are open through Aug. 22, the deputy mayor said; the board has extended the application window and moved to digital applications. Any policy changes recommended by LTAC will be forwarded to council for final consideration.
