City of Oak Harbor Lodging Tax / Tourism Promotion 2025 Grant Cycle Announced
Oak Harbor, WA, September 6, 2024 --- The Oak Harbor City Council approved the 2025 Lodging Tax / Tourism Promotion grant cycle and funding level at the August 20, 2024 regularly scheduled council meeting. The City Council approved a total of $450,000 in funding for the 2025 Lodging Tax / Tourism Promotion grants. Of the $450,000, $161,160 is allotted to the organizations that were awarded multi-year grants from 2023-2025. Another $50,000 of the $450,000 is set aside as part of the interlocal agreement between the City and Whidbey and Camano Island Tourism. The remaining $238,840 will be made available to eligible organizations as one-time new grant awards.
Per Washington State regulations and Oak Harbor Municipal Code, the City of Oak Harbor Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (commonly known as LTAC) is required to meet, open a grant application period, review and make funding recommendation to the City Council for use of those funds. The Committee’s first meeting was held on September 5, 2024.
Lodging Tax / Tourism Promotion grant applications will be accepted from September 23, 2024 through 4:30pm on October 4, 2024. Instructions and applications will be available starting at 9:00am on Monday, September 23 on the City’s LTAC website: Lodging Tax Advisory Committee | Oak Harbor, WA. Applications will be accepted using the online application form only. Applications will be accepted through 4:30pm on October 4, 2024.
The purpose of the City of Oak Harbor’s Lodging Tax / Tourism Promotion program is to promote tourism activities within the City of Oak Harbor. Eligibility is defined broadly to encourage wide participation and innovative proposals. The source of the funds is the City's share of sales taxes collected on overnight stays within the City of Oak Harbor (lodging tax) as well as an additional lodging tax as authorized under State statutes. Recommendations for use of the funds are referred to the Oak Harbor City Council for approval by the LTAC on an annual basis.
Allowable uses for the lodging tax funds may be used, directly by any municipality or indirectly through a convention and visitor’s bureau or destination marketing organization for tourism marketing; marketing and operations of special events and festivals designed to attract tourists; operations and capital expenditures of tourism-related facilities owned or operated by a municipality, or a public facilities district or operations of tourism-related facilities owned or operated by nonprofit organizations (but not capital expenditures).
The Oak Harbor LTAC consists of seven voting members, which includes three individuals representing business that collect the tax imposed (Collectors), three individuals who represent organizations that are eligible to receive these grants (Receivers), and a Councilmember who serves as the Chair of the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee.
Non-profit and other tourism-related organizations are encouraged to apply for this grant funding. Questions can be directed to ltac@oakharbor.org.