Committee reviews 2023 occupancy-tax spending; staff outlines distribution, major recipients and one-time events

Warren County staff on Feb. 27 presented a detailed analysis of 2023 spending of the county’s occupancy-tax allocations, telling the Occupancy Tax Coordination Committee that roughly $10 million was spent under the 2023 allocations and that municipalities, marketing and events captured the bulk of those dollars.

Heather, a county staff member who led the presentation, said the spend analysis covers projects paid in calendar year 2023. “We spent over $10,000,000 in 2023,” she said, and the report breaks down where those dollars went by municipality, budget line and category. She said the Village of Lake George, Warren County as a whole and Queensbury received a majority of municipal and promotional funds.

The presentation said municipalities receive 25% of annual occupancy-tax receivables by resolution; municipal payments are distributed in two installments, the first disbursement in October and the remainder in May after books close in March. Heather described line items and budget authorizations: tourism special-events funding ($740,000, excluding a one-time…