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Hotel‑motel TPA manager asks county to approve four‑year Visit Spokane and Spokane Sports contracts
Summary
Visit Spokane, acting as the hotel/motel TPA manager, asked the county to approve four‑year contracts keeping the current allocation split (63.6% Business Spokane/Visit Spokane, 34.4% Spokane Sports) and 2% to reserve, with annual budgets and reporting required.
Representatives from Visit Spokane and the hotel/motel Tourism Promotion Area (TPA) manager briefed the Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday and asked the board to approve four‑year contracts that lock in the current percentage split between Visit Spokane (Business Spokane) and Spokane Sports.
Matt (last name not specified), representing Visit Spokane as the TPA manager, said the TPA commissioners — five hoteliers — recommended a four‑year contract with the same percentage split and 2% set aside to a reserve. “It will require annual budgets and reporting requirements that tie back to those budgets,” he said. The TPA managers said they proposed four‑year contracts to help Visit Spokane and Spokane Sports with multiyear planning while requiring annual budgets and profit‑and‑loss reporting so the commission can review returns on investment.
Staff described projected 2024 collections and revised 2025 forecasts. Projected revenue for 2024 had been $5.7 million in an earlier forecast but collections were closer to $5.0–5.4 million, and the TPA manager said a conservative 2025 projection is about $4.8 million. The $5 assessment per occupied room night funds the TPA; the count includes city and county collections.
Commissioners asked whether the percentage split would change if revenues drop; staff said the percentages remain constant year to year, and the dollar amounts would decline or rise with collections. The board also discussed the TPA commission’s industry‑approved assessment (they described it as an assessment rather than a tax) and its history of raising the assessment to $5 per night.
Representatives also discussed outreach to jurisdictions that are not currently contributing TPA dollars — the Spokane Valley and tribal facilities — noting tribes are industry members and partners on some efforts but are exempt from the assessment under state law. The TPA manager said the commission paused external grant requests through 2026 to build reserves.
Board staff said contracts consistent with the Hotel/Motel TPA Commission’s recommendation will be placed on the county’s legislative agenda for formal action next week.
