The City of Oak Harbor has a new way of handling the annual awards of hotel-motel tax money intended to promote tourism.
It lends a bit of intrigue to the process following last year’s kerfuffle over the $80,000 in lodging tax funds given to the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce.
Last year, the City Council and Mayor Scott Dudley differed on where to direct the money. Dudley wanted to put the money toward creating more community events to draw visitors to the island.
The council, however, voted to give the money to the chamber.
This year, thanks to changes in state law, a seven-member Lodging Tax Advisory Committee — appointed by the mayor — will recommend to the City Council where the money should go, and how much.
What’s different this year is that, even though the council still has the final vote, it cannot change the amount recommended by the committee and cannot award money the committee hasn’t approved.
Items can be removed from the list.
The Tax Committee is composed of three people who represent lodging facilities, three people who represent groups that would receive the money and one member of the City Council.
The committee is expected to make its recommendations in November or December.
Dudley told a Whidbey News-Times reporter that the chamber “automatically” got the funds in the past, but the new structure is changing that.
One thing hasn’t changed in the past year — the chamber is a vital resource that draws tourists to the community every year. Directing the lodging tax proceeds to the chamber makes perfect sense, and we hope that the new Lodging Tax Advisory Committee agrees.
The first place potential visitors turn to for information about the island and what it has to offer is the chamber of commerce.
Oak Harbor’s chamber is an especially active one, and its staff is adept at promoting the many great things this community has to offer.
Continuing to support the chamber with these 2 percent dollars is a smart move all around and a wise use of tax dollars.
It really is a no-brainer any way you look at.
