Huron council backs Shores and Islands after presentation on proposed lodging-tax change

Huron City Council on June 10, 2025, voted to send letters urging state and county officials to preserve the current use of county lodging-tax revenue for tourism promotion after a presentation from Larry Fletcher of Shores and Islands Ohio.

Shores and Islands Ohio representative Larry Fletcher told the council the change appears in proposed state budget language that would “authorize additional purposes ... to fund public safety services, economic development projects, or infrastructure projects that impact tourism,” a change he said could be enacted without notification to local destination-marketing organizations.

The request for local support grew out of an April discovery that language had been introduced that would allow certain counties to redirect lodging-tax receipts. Fletcher said the original proposal would have allowed commissioners to divert up to two-thirds of the portion now directed to local convention and visitors bureaus; he said later iterations removed the two-thirds clause but still would add the three uses…