Lodging Tax Advisory Commission

Meetings

  • Marian Wetsch City Hall
    5411 23rd Street E
    Fife, WA 98424

Members

  • Lora Butterfield, Fife Milton Edgewood Chamber of Commerce (tourism promotion groups)
  • Debbie Dymarkowski, Emerald Queen Hotel and Casino and Sunshine Motel (lodging establishment)
  • Pat Hulcey, Councilmember
  • Two open seats are available with specific membership requirements (see membership requirements below)

MembershipLTAC Commission Opens in new window

In accordance with Fife Municipal Code, the commission must be comprised of five members:

  • A councilmember who serves as Chair
  • At least two representatives of lodging establishments in the city who collect the tax
  • At least two representatives of activities authorized to be funded by the tax

The number of collectees must always be equal to the number of collectors on the commission.

Overview

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 Commission (LTAC) advises the Fife 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 campground. The lodging tax in the City of Fife is currently 13.5%.

Spending Process

The city hosts an annual process, allowing businesses and citizens to propose ways to use the lodging tax revenue. The process for 2022 is:

  • July 1 - The city publishes a notice requesting proposals for how to spend lodging tax revenue for 2023 and 2024.
  • July 31  - The application process closes.
  • August 10 - The lodging tax advisory commission will meet and review applications and then make recommendations to the council about which proposals to fund.
  • September 27- The Fife City Council passed Resolution No. 2063 establishing the final 2023 Lodging Tax Expenditure Plan and 2024 Lodging Tax Expenditure Plan. 
  • December/January - Contracts are issued to carry out the proposals.
  • Contractors submit reports on their projects throughout the year.

Full details are available in the Lodging Tax Guidelines (PDF).

Current Status

The Fife Lodging Tax Advisory Commission is no longer accepting applications for 2023 and 2024 requests. The application period was open from July 1 thru July 31, 2022. 

If you have additional questions, please email Kelsey Geddes or call 253-896-8628.

RESOURCES