Lodging Tax Advisory Committee

Port Townsend Lodging Tax Advisory Committee’s (LTAC’s) vision of sustainable tourism is to reinvest community resources to enhance the lives of both residents and visitors. 

About Lodging Tax

Under Washington State RCW 67.28,  the City of Port Townsend and Jefferson County have the ability to levy lodging taxes, also known as “hotel/motel taxes,” on all charges for furnishing lodging at hotels, motels, and short-term rentals – including government and non-government housing and lodging accommodations where overnight stays are less than 30 days.  Lodging tax is collected as a sales tax, and the revenues must be used for eligible tourism promotion activities or tourism-related facilities. Port Townsend Lodging Tax was $602,167 in 2022. 
 

Members

• Owen Rowe (Chair)  -  Elected Official, City Councilmember
• Natalie Maitland, Fort Worden Hospitality -  Collector
• Kate Philbrick, Swan Hotel / Northwest Maritime Center  - Collector
• Katy Goodman, Centrum  -  Recipient
• Danielle McClelland, Port Townsend Film Festival  -  Recipient
• Denise Winter, Key City Public Theatre  -  Recipient
• Mari Mullen, Port Townsend Main Street  -  Non-Voting
• Cindy Finnie  -  At Large Position
• Sarah Copley - At Large Position
   
• Vacant Positions (4)
  • Collector (2)
  • Recipient (1)
  • Non-Voting (1)

Contact the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee via email: LTAC@cityofpt.us
 

Meetings

Lodging Tax Advisory Committee meetings occur on the second Tuesday of odd months, at 3:00 p.m. in City Council Chambers at Historic City Hall, 540 Water Street. All meetings are open to the public and public comment is welcome. All scheduled meetings can be found on the Meeting Calendar and meeting agendas and minutes in the records and documents directory.  You can review the meeting schedule with dates and deadlines for grants and grant review in the attachments below. 
 

About the Committee

The Lodging Tax Advisory Committee is authorized to engage in tourism planning and promotion activities. The Committee reviews applications for tourism promotion and tourism-related facility projects and makes recommendations to City Council regarding the projects the City should fund through lodging tax reinvestment. Members are appointed by City Council and consist of one elected official of the City who is Chair, four representatives of businesses or entities required to collect the lodging tax, four representatives involved in activities funded by the lodging tax, and two at-large members. Non-voting members with tourism expertise are invited as well. 

Are you interested in sustainable tourism and the reinvestment of lodging tax to serve our community? We are seeking members! Please see open positions above and use the general Advisory Board application form to apply.

Budget Background

The development of the LTAC budget is part of the development of the City of Port Townsend budget.  This begins nearly 6 months before the start of the subsequent year and includes state-mandated statutory milestones and deadlines.  In the 2025 Budget, LTAC proposed to City Council a budget allocation for grants for a total of $50,000.  City Council has included this in the 2025 City budget. 

Current lodging tax funds are distributed among a variety of initiatives, including marketing, events, infrastructure, fee waivers and debt service. The following is a summary of the yearly approach to quarterly LTAC meetings and the development of the LTAC budget: Summary of LTAC Meetings and Development of LTAC Budget

Lodging Tax Advisory Committee GRANT PROGRAM

Application Deadline: Monday, March 3, 2025

Grant Review Meeting Date: Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Total funding available this year: $50,000

The City of Port Townsend Lodging Tax Advisory Committee invites proposals for funding activities that serve a vision of sustainable tourism to reinvest community resources to enhance the lives of both residents and visitors. 

LTAC will review proposals for funding with an intent to award grants totaling $50,000 in one round this year.  We anticipate that funding requests for projects, events, or marketing will be awarded between $1,000 - $10,000. LTAC may decide to award partial funding to entities based on their proposal.

All proposals must meet the minimum statutory requirements of RCW 67.28. Further information and guidance can also be found at: https://mrsc.org/Home/Explore-Topics/Finance/Revenues/Lodging-Tax.aspx.  If funded, organizers must demonstrate that they have acquired any required permits.

As part of the application process, proposals will be evaluated against prioritized required and desired criteria, and funding decisions are made in open public meetings of the Advisory Body, with an opportunity for public comment, applicant Q&A, and Committee discussion. 

READY TO APPLY?
 

READ FIRST:
Grant Guidelines and FAQ
Required and Desired Grant Criteria

Optional applicant webinar: Thursday, February 13, 3:00PM on Zoom
Click link above to join the webinar, no registration.
Dial In: 1(253)205-0468 Access Code: 99680335409#
The webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel within a few days.

Tools for Applicants:
Optional Budget Template (coming soon)
 

>>>>>>>>>ENTER Applicant Portal<<<<<<<<<

Questions about grants or the application form not working correctly? Email ltac@cityofpt.us