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Woodland council adopts 2026 budget; lodging-tax authorization left for later awards
Summary
Woodland City Council approved Ordinance 1582, the 2026 budget, on a second and final reading, 6–1. The budget authorizes $50,000 in lodging-tax (LTAC) spending earmarked for visitor-related uses; the council later divided the immediate awards between two applicants.
Woodland City Council approved its 2026 budget, Ordinance 1582, on second and final reading by a 6–1 roll-call vote, with Council member Hall the lone vote against. The adoption followed a public hearing at which residents and local organizations discussed how the city should use lodging-tax funds.
Mayor Dehart opened the hearing and said the budget authorizes a mix of dollars that includes $50,000 set aside for lodging-tax allocations tied to tourism promotion. The council heard a written statement from the Woodland Chamber of Commerce and public comments from residents about whether funding should support the Chamber’s visitor center or go to Downtown Woodland Revitalization (DWR).
Tom Butler of the Woodland Chamber of Commerce read a letter urging the council to obtain written legal clarification before approving allocations, saying some proposed uses may not meet the definitions in state law and could trigger audit findings. Butler also said the Chamber’s estimate for full annual visitor-center operations is about $82,500 and that $40,000 is the minimum it would need to continue operating the facility.
Council members discussed procedural safeguards such as requiring receipts for reimbursements and consulting municipal legal resources. City staff and the city attorney explained that budget authorization does not itself disburse funds; separate action items are needed to award specific grants or contracts from the authorized money.
The ordinance takes effect as adopted; council proceeded to consider action items that would allocate portions of the lodging-tax authorization to named recipients. The budget adoption followed prior public hearings and a first reading earlier in the meeting series.
