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City council confirms Garden Grove Tourism Improvement District assessment for fiscal 2025–26
Summary
After a public hearing and a presentation from Visit Anaheim, council adopted a resolution confirming the Tourism Improvement District advisory board report and levying the assessment for FY 2025–26 (7–0). The assessment funds marketing, security and maintenance projects for the Grove tourism area.
The Garden Grove City Council held a public hearing and voted to confirm the Garden Grove Tourism Improvement District (GGTID) advisory board’s report and to levy the annual assessment for fiscal year 2025–26.
Deputy Director Greg Blodgett told the council the district, created in 2010 under a parking and business improvement area law, is split into two tiers: a Tier 1 assessment (nine hotels north of Lampson Avenue) set at 2.5% of hotel revenues and a Tier 2 assessment (Great Wolf Lodge, south of Lampson) at 0.5% of hotel revenues.
Blodgett said the district’s budget distributes 60% of funds to Visit Anaheim for marketing, with the GGTPC (Garden Grove Tourism Promotion Corporation) and a transit fund each receiving 20%. For FY 2025–26, the advisory report listed estimated GGTPC revenues of $733,000 with a $115,000 carryover (total $848,000). Major line items Blodgett flagged included private security ($254,000), Harbor Boulevard maintenance and utilities/landscaping ($279,000) and a new Grove District website budgeted at $81,000.
Visit Anaheim representatives Ronnie Collins (Chief Sales Officer) and Scott Ochlin (Chief Marketing Officer) presented marketing results for the previous fiscal year, saying their work helped generate broad visitor impressions and economic impact for the destination; the presentation cited over $1,900,000,000 in visitor‑spend economic impact tied to the wider resort market and noted specific metrics showing increased website users, impressions and marketing ROI.
The council received a report that zero written protests were filed by the close of the public hearing. Following public testimony (none for this item) and council discussion, a motion to adopt the resolution to confirm the advisory report and levy the assessment passed with seven yes votes.
Councilmembers discussed opportunities to link Grove District marketing to regional events, including conversation about the 2028 Olympics and outreach to local influencers to direct Orange County visitors to Garden Grove’s attractions.
The council directed staff to transmit the adopted resolution and supporting materials as required by the district formation rules and to provide the presentation materials to councilmembers for followup.
The advisory board report and the adopted resolution confirm the assessment structure and the recommended FY 2025–26 budget allocation for marketing, security and maintenance of the Grove tourism area.
