Recommendations for tourism tax heard

If relatives coming to Spokane Valley for the holidays wonder why a 2 percent “transient occupancy tax” keeps showing up on their hotel tab, the Spokane Valley City Council will soon be able to give them an answer.

At its study session Tuesday, the council heard suggestions from a committee assembled yearly to help spend the tax money on efforts to promote tourism.

“This is far from a rubber stamp process,” said Councilman Mike Flanigan, who with four others sits on the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee.

State law allows cities to collect the tax specifically for tourism facilities and marketing. The committee takes requests for the approximately $300,000 received yearly and makes recommendations to the council, which will have the final say on the amounts at a later meeting.

Recommendations include:

“$160,000 to the Spokane Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau

“$84,000 to the Spokane Regional Sports Commission

“$20,000 to the new CenterPlace community center, with more funding possible if the city receives more tax dollars than expected

“$15,000 for Valleyfest

“$7,000 for a skateboarding festival at the YMCA

“$5,000 to the Valley Heritage Museum

“$5,000 to the Chamber of Commerce to partially fund a Spokane Valley float for parades around the state

“$4,000 to the Spokane Valley Junior Soccer Association for new signs at Plantes Ferry Park

Also at Tuesday’s meeting, Mayor Diana Wilhite announced her picks for open seats on the Spokane Valley Planning Commission.

She recommended that sitting commissioners Gail Kogle and Fred Beaulac be reappointed when their terms expire at the end of the month. Wilhite recommended Marsha Sands for the seat that will come open when Bill Gothmann leaves the commission to join the City Council.

Sands has a professional background in geology and experience in land-use planning, Wilhite said.

The council will likely vote on the nominations at its next meeting.