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Hotel occupancy tax collections for June reported; office notes reporting delays and short-term-rental questions
Summary
Cultural funding supervisor Jesus Pantel reported June hotel-occupancy-tax (HOT) collections and year-to-date Cultural Arts Fund totals. Commissioners asked about the inclusion and timing of short-term-rental (STR) revenue and reserves used in prior years; staff pledged to follow up with finance and provide more detailed accounting.
Jesus Pantel, cultural funding supervisor at ACME, briefed the Arts Commission on hotel-occupancy-tax (HOT) collections on Aug. 18 and reviewed year-to-date Cultural Arts Fund totals and reporting timing.
Pantel reported that HOT collection for June was $575,476, and the Cultural Arts Fund portion of that monthly collection was $57,730. He told commissioners the Cultural Arts Fund actuals for fiscal year 2025 totaled $11,321,678 as of the report. Pantel cautioned that HOT reporting is delayed by a month: amounts collected in June represent hotel stays in May.
Commissioners asked whether revenue from short-term rentals (STRs) was included. Pantel said STR numbers were not in that month's report and that staff would confirm when STR collections would be visible in reports; commissioners asked staff to follow up with the budget office on how STRs will affect HOT projections given projected shortfalls.
Why it matters: HOT collections are the primary municipal funding source for the Cultural Arts Fund. Small changes or delays in reporting affect ACME's ability to plan awards and contracts for arts organizations.
Quote "The hotel occupancy tax collection in June was $575,476. That means, our hotel occupancy tax for the cultural arts fund collection numbers were $57,730," Jesus Pantel said, describing the month's receipts.
Next steps - Staff to confirm whether and when STR collections are included in monthly HOT reporting and report back to the commission. - Staff to confirm reserve accounting and whether prior differences reflect reserves or accrual-method changes.
Ending Commissioners requested clearer, more accessible slides and continued follow-up on STR revenue and reserve balances so the commission can evaluate budget forecasts and program awards planning.
