Public Facilities District asks county to back bonds for Cowlitz County Events Center improvements

The Cowlitz County Public Facilities District on Wednesday urged the county to support issuing bonds to finance Phase 1 of a master plan for the Cowlitz County Events Center, telling county leaders the work could unlock a hotel, a multipurpose sports and events building and equestrian upgrades that would increase year‑round attendance and economic activity.

The PFD asked the county finance committee to consider a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners by April on whether the county should issue bonds to pay for Phase 1 and asked staff to begin amending the 2003 interlocal agreement with the county by June so the district can design and plan later phases. “We really think the master plan reflects what we have heard and what is feasible and needed in this community,” Bob Gregory, project manager for the Cowlitz County Public Facilities District, told commissioners.

The ask matters because the PFD’s two main revenue streams — a retained portion of local sales tax and a voter‑approved 1% lodging tax — are restricted by state law to PFD facilities. Bronson Potter, legal counsel for the PFD, explained that while those revenues have produced more than $1,000,000 from the retained sales tax and more than $200,000 from the lodging tax in 2024, the PFD’s credit capacity is smaller than the county’s. “If the county issued the bonds, you have a much better…