Trinity County advisory board advances plan for countywide tourism development district, sets 3% assessment and nonprofit structure

The Trinity County advisory board reviewed and advanced the plan to form a countywide tourism development district and the nonprofit that would administer it, agreeing to a proposed 3% assessment rate (with a written option to raise the rate up to 5% over the district term) and asking staff and consultants to draft the initial management district plan for review at the next meeting.

The discussion matters because the assessment — if approved through a petition process that requires lodging-owner signatures representing over 50% of assessed value and later a public hearing — would create a new, ongoing revenue stream dedicated to tourism marketing and destination projects. Board members, county staff and the consultant walked through incorporation, tax-exemption steps, outreach strategy and a draft budget that uses a $200,000 example to show how funds might be allocated.

Consultant Katie, who led the presentation, outlined the corporation-formation timeline the group would follow if it chooses to form a new nonprofit: draft and approve articles of incorporation and bylaws, file with the California Secretary of State, submit IRS Form SS-4 to obtain an Employer Identification Number, prepare and file a federal tax-exempt application (the speaker said the IRS review typically takes five to 10 months), then obtain state tax-exempt recognition from the California Franchise Tax Board. Katie told the board the advisory will…