Advisory board advances draft plan for Trinity County tourism assessment district

The Trinity County Tourism Advisory Board discussed next steps to form a proposed lodging assessment district that would be governed by a nonprofit corporation, and reviewed a draft five‑year management district plan that proposes a 3% assessment on assessed lodging receipts, quarterly county collection, and an initial allocation (a “pie chart”) for administration, sales and marketing, destination attraction and reserves.

The consultant leading the project, Katie (Civitas consultant), outlined the timeline and petition process and said, “Once we get over that 50% threshold, we will submit those petitions to the county, have those petitions verified, and then we can move on to the hearing process.” That petition must be signed by lodging providers before the Board of Supervisors would consider formal formation, Katie said.

Why this matters: the advisory board and the consultant framed the district as a way to create a stable, nonprofit-managed funding source for local tourism promotion distinct from the county transient occupancy tax (TOT). The proposal is intended to keep assessment funds under the control of the district’s nonprofit manager rather than diverting them to general county funds.

Key points of discussion

- Legal mechanism and name: The consultant said the district will follow the Property and…