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LTAC discusses lodging‑tax increase, possible Tourism Promotion Area; operators’ signatures required
Summary
Committee members discussed two pathways to raise promotion revenue: a direct lodging‑tax increase or creating a Tourism Promotion Area (TPA). A TPA would require signatures from operators representing 60% of local lodging to form; no formal vote taken.
Sunnyside’s Lodging Tax Advisory Committee discussed May 1 whether to pursue an additional lodging tax or to form a Tourism Promotion Area (TPA) to generate more funds for marketing and promotion. Committee members described each path and noted procedural hurdles but took no formal action.
Committee members explained that a TPA is a locally defined assessment that would be added to nightly stays and returned to a promotion authority; forming one requires signatures from lodging operators representing 60% of the area’s gross room‑night capacity or assessed charges. City staff said a TPA could allow the city to set a per‑room‑night assessment (for example $2 per night) and make those funds available to both nonprofit and for‑profit marketing partners, but forming a TPA would require outreach and buy‑in from local hoteliers.
Other options discussed included a direct county‑level or municipal lodging‑tax increase, which staff said can be administratively and politically complex and may have a sunset provision. Committee members noted the practical difficulty of organizing operator support in Sunnyside but identified several larger properties (e.g., Silverstone hotel) that staff could approach first. City Manager Mike Gonzalez said staff would bring more detailed documentation and sample petition materials to a future meeting if the committee wanted to pursue the TPA option.
No change to the lodging tax was adopted at the May 1 meeting.
