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Hilton Garden Inn asks Clarksburg for occupancy-tax credit after CVB audit lapses
Summary
A Hilton Garden Inn representative told the council the Clarksburg Visitors Bureau failed to file required audits and requested the city consider returning or appropriating a large share of the hotel's occupancy-tax payments for marketing; the hotel proposed a marketing plan and requested up to 75% of the hotel’s portion for eligible uses.
Lisa Sutton, director of sales and marketing for S & B Investments (operator of the Hilton Garden Inn in Clarksburg), told the City Council the Clarksburg Visitors Bureau (CVB) had fallen out of compliance with state statutory reporting and accreditation, making it ineligible to receive its statutory share of hotel occupancy tax proceeds.
Sutton said the CVB missed required audit and fiscal reports (most recent on file dated FY2022) and lacked required accreditation, so the hotel is requesting relief under state code. She outlined statutory language (citing West Virginia Code that governs distribution and allowable uses of municipal hotel-occupancy tax revenue) and said Hilton Garden Inn formally seeks an appropriation of up to 75% of the hotel’s portion for marketing, with an alternative request that the city credit 50% of the hotel’s occupancy-tax payments for the period July 1, 2024–Dec. 31, 2025 (the latter amount was cited as $128,118.23).
Sutton presented a 2026 marketing-plan budget required by the statute and offered to provide copies to council and staff. Council members asked for hard copies and asked staff to follow up on the CVB’s compliance status and the statutory process for approving an appropriation or credit to a hotel operator.
Council did not take immediate action on the request; staff said they would review the materials and verify the CVB’s filings and accreditation status before any appropriation or remedial credit would be considered.
Next steps: city staff to verify CVB compliance with audit and accreditation requirements and review the hotel’s written application and marketing plan before council considers any appropriation or credit.
