The Renton City Council voted 5–2 to concur with a Committee of the Whole recommendation approving $900,000 in lodging‑tax allocations for 2026, directing city staff to execute contracts with successful applicants.

The committee’s recommendation, presented during unfinished business, listed specific allocations including $600,000 for a City of Renton Legacy Square community programming series (June through October 2026); $100,000 for a Renton community marketing campaign run by the city’s Economic Development Division; $75,000 for the Renton Visitor Center (Renton Chamber of Commerce); $55,000 for Emerald Dynasty Entertainment/New Wave Festival; $30,000 for a Renton Chamber event (BFS and Bubbly); $20,000 for Evergreen Tabletop Expo (Renton City Retro); and $20,000 for the Washington Therapy Fund Foundation’s Reclaiming Wellness conference. The total recommended funding was $900,000.

Why it matters: lodging‑tax dollars are intended to promote tourism and events that generate transient lodging stays. Council approval authorizes the mayor and city clerk to execute contracts with the listed applicants and begin implementing the proposed marketing and tourism activities.

Council and public concerns: the allocation prompted public comments and council discussion about data, equity, and process. Gabriel Diaz, a member of the public, asked whether people who are part of organizations that apply “are people who are a part of organizations allowed to vote to give funding to their own organizations?” and urged guardrails to prevent conflicts of interest. Ronald Bensley, a Renton resident, warned that funding could become overly concentrated on downtown projects tied to FIFA and suggested the council give the allocations more time before a final vote to protect events such as Juneteenth that support many small businesses.

Within council debate, Council Member Vann said the city needs better data and praised the development of a rubric but said the data is still “coming up short.” Council Member Rivera explained why she planned to vote against concurrence: “I also wanted to express one of the main reasons I'm not gonna be able to vote for this this evening,” she said, citing difficulty reconciling funding for new events while changing the rubric used since 2022 and the apparent omission of some historically funded events despite demonstrated attendance and “heads and beds.”

Outcome and next steps: the council recorded a 5–2 vote to concur with the Committee of the Whole recommendation. Staff said the committee recommends authorizing the mayor and city clerk to execute contracts with successful applicants to implement the marketing and tourism activities. No specific contract start dates were provided during the meeting; applicants and contract terms were not read into the record beyond the amounts listed. The council scheduled no further substantive hearings on the allocations during the meeting.