SPOKANE,WA- The Spokane City Council approved a new way of allocating hotel/motel tax dollars.
In the past, hotel/motel tax money was handled by the citys Sports, Entertainment, Arts and Conventions Advisory Board, with the dollars being divided between the Spokane Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and the citys entertainment facilities. State law, however, requires that the money be allocated by a committee made up of members of the hospitality and tourism industries.
The Lodging Tax Advisory Committee met for the first time this year and accepted 12 applications from tourism organizations and businesses for grants to boost the number of visitors to Spokane. Of the $789,930 available for grants, the committee voted to give $561,000 to the Convention and Visitors Bureau, $110,000 to three other applicants and $36,600 to entertainment facilities. (11/7/00)
SOURCE: The Spokesman-Review.com