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Spokane Valley TPA: $739,000 revenue through July; July hotel occupancy 77% — state sales‑tax change coming Oct. 1
Summary
TPA staff reported $739,000 in revenue collected through July (about $2,000 below last year), CoStar hotel data showed 77% occupancy for city hotels in July, and staff flagged a state sales‑tax expansion (referred to in the meeting as "Senate Bill 5014") taking effect Oct. 1 that will modestly affect consultant fees and retail-tax collections.
TPA staff reported at the Sept. 25 meeting that the city has collected about $739,000 in TPA revenue through July, approximately $2,000 less than the same period last year.
“We are at about $739,000 in revenue collected so far in the first 7 months of this year. That reflects we are about $2,000 under where we were at this time last year,” staff said during the financial report.
Staff also reviewed marketing analytics and hotel performance. August website and social analytics showed a seasonal decline in site traffic but higher engagement on Instagram and Facebook; staff noted two destination campaigns performed well: the Valley Venture Family Campaign and a series of posts featuring the department’s summer intern (referred to as “Bella the intern”). Staff reported 40 click‑throughs to city hotels in August.
Using CoStar data for July, staff reported city hotels’ occupancy at 77%, compared with 73% for Spokane hotels overall, and indicated generated revenue in July was up about 1% year‑over‑year. Staff said they would share further details on request.
Staff also advised commissioners of an upcoming change in retail sales‑tax collection implemented by the Washington State Department of Revenue beginning Oct. 1, attributing the change to the passage of a state law (identified in the meeting as “Senate Bill 5014”). Staff said the law expands retail sales tax to include certain creative services and development of custom software; the change will slightly increase retail sales tax charges and result in a small increase in fees charged to consultants and, consequently, a modest TPA program cost increase.
Ending: Staff said they will continue monthly financial updates and will provide more detail on occupancy and revenue trends when available.
