Lodging Tax Advisory Committee

The City of Fife sets a tax on overnight stays in the City. This tax can only be used for tourism purposes. The Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) advises the City Council on how to use this revenue.

State law requires cities with a lodging tax fund to establish an advisory committee, and identifies how the funds may be used. Lodging tax revenue may be used to: promote and operate events, locations, and activities for the purpose of attracting visitors; pay for capital costs of some tourism-related facilities; and fund the operation of visitor/convention agencies. The lodging tax is an excise (sales) tax authorized by state law in RCW 67.28. It is paid by people who stay overnight in a lodging establishment such as a hotel, motel, bed and breakfast, or camp ground. The lodging tax in the City of Fife is currently 10.4 percent.

Spending Process

The City hosts an annual process, allowing businesses and citizens to propose ways to use the lodging tax revenue. The process works like this:

July - The City publishes notice that it's requesting proposals for how to spend lodging tax revenue.
Aug - The application process closes and applications are reviewed by the Committee.
Sept - The Committee makes recommendations to the Council about which proposals to fund.
Oct - The City Council makes the final decision on which proposals to fund.
Jan - Contracts are issued to carry out the proposals.
Contractors submit reports on their projects throughout the year.

Full details are available in the 2013 LTAC Rules and Regulations. Note that the Committee's recommendations are advisory in nature only.

Resources

Current Status

The City is currently reviewing proposals for special events only.

Meetings

May 22nd, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. at Fife City Hall
August- TBD

Membership

In accordance with Fife Municipal Code, the Committee must be comprised of five to seven members: a Councilmember who serves as Chair; at least two representatives of lodging establishments in the City who collect the tax; and at least two representatives of activities authorized to be funded by the tax. The number of collectees must always be equal or more than the number of collectors.

Members

Rob Cerqui, Committee Chair (Councilmember)
Darshan (Shawn) Randhawa, Travelodge (lodging establishment)
Debbie Dymarkowski, Emerald Queen Hotel & Casino (lodging establishment)
Mark Horace, Extended Stay America (lodging establishment)
Aaron Williams , Executive Director, Fife Regional Chamber of Commerce (tourism promotion group)
Molly Wilmoth, Fife Historical Society (tourism promotion group)
Bennish Brown, Tacoma Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau (tourism promotion groups)