Sunnyside council approves $100,000 lodging-tax package to fund local marketing plan

The Sunnyside City Council voted to authorize the city manager to spend $100,000 in lodging-tax funds to implement a new marketing plan aimed at promoting local events, restaurants and tourism assets.

City Manager Mike Gonzales introduced the request as “a request for a hundred thousand dollars” drawn from LTAC (lodging-tax) funds to give Sunnyside more autonomy over digital marketing and content creation. He said the plan was vetted by the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee and would include digital advertising, video and content creation, and potentially a separate tourism website linked from the city’s main page.

The council discussed how the money would be used. Councilors asked whether the work would be contracted out (Gonzales said most elements would be outsourced to marketing firms or content creators because staff lack the bandwidth) and whether a separate tourism website was intended (Gonzales said a separate Sunnyside tourism site was one option because LTAC funds must be used for tourism purposes). Councilors emphasized language access and asked that Spanish-language translations and subtitles be built into the plan so marketing reaches monolingual Spanish speakers in the community.

Councilor Frosto moved to approve the resolution authorizing the city manager to spend $100,000 in lodging-tax funds and enter into necessary agreements; Councilor Ripley seconded. The council voted in favor and the motion passed.

Why it matters: LTAC revenue is legally restricted to promoting lodging and tourism; the council’s decision gives the city a dedicated budget to produce measurable, digital content promoting Sunnyside’s events, restaurants and cultural assets rather than relying solely on regional partners.

Votes at a glance - Resolution authorizing city manager to spend $100,000 in lodging-tax funds: motion by Councilor Frosto; second by Councilor Ripley; outcome: approved (unanimous voice vote as recorded).