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Meet Chicago Northwest asks Rolling Meadows to increase tourism contribution by about $14,000
Summary
Heather Larson, president of Meet Chicago Northwest, asked member communities to raise their contribution from 10% to 15% of the 4% hotel-occupancy tax allocation; for Rolling Meadows the change would be roughly $14,000. Larson described regional budget and state grant support and asked council to consider the request in budget negotiations.
Heather Larson, president of Meet Chicago Northwest, presented the organization's FY2026 work and asked member communities to modestly increase their municipal contribution to regional tourism marketing.
Larson said Meet Chicago Northwest serves eight communities, represents the area's hotels, restaurants and attractions at no cost to those businesses, and that the City's current contribution is drawn from a share of the hotel-occupancy tax. "In the coming fiscal year, they are asking their communities to raise their contribution from 10% to 15% of 4%," Larson said, and counsel materials estimate that change would cost Rolling Meadows approximately $14,000. Larson told the committee the organization's FY2026 budget is roughly $2.3 million and said the group received about $1.2 million this year from the Illinois Office of Tourism through the state's Local Tourism Convention Bureau grant.
Larson said that following a larger, temporary budget in 2024 that was bolstered by COVID relief, Meet Chicago Northwest booked $35 million in signed contracts at area hotels and described that as an example of return on investment. She asked that the City Council consider the request during upcoming budget negotiations. The minutes record that no members of the public signed up to speak during the public comment period for these agenda items.
