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Home My WebLink About*Other - Accounting (002)October 6, 2022 Re: Lodging Tax (134.185) Dear Grant County Commissioners, Grant County Auditor Michele Jaderlund PO Box 37 Ephrata, WA 98823 (509) 754-2011 OCT 1 12022 I respectfully request the addition of a Lodging Tax Fund (134.185). The county has the authority to levy lodgings, also known as "hotel/motel taxes", on all charges for furnishing lodging at hotel, motels, and short-tenn rentals and lodging accommodations for period less than 30 days. Lodging tax revenues must generally be used for tourism promotion, acquisition of tourism -related facilities, or operation of tourism -related facilities (RCW 67.28.1815-.1816). According to the Municipal Research and Service Center (MRSC), flie State Auditor's Office interprets the law to mean that all users of lodging tax funds, includin municipalities, are considered applicants and must follow the relevant application procedures. So, if counties are seeking to use the hinds directly, the county should submit applications for their own projects to the Lodging; Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) for consideration. 4:� Currently, the lodging tax revenues are accounted for within the county's Tourism fund (114.156). However, as Tourism is now required to apply for the use of lodging tax funds this blending of monies within the same Rind is preventing the appropriate level of transparency for county funds. As such, I am requesting the creation. of a Lodging Tax fund (134.185) where the lodging tax revenues will be recognized as well as disbursements of the lodging tax funds to award recipients, including, but not limited to Grant County Tourism. Thank you for your consideration, Katie Smith Chief inancial Officer Grant County Auditor's Office P.O. Box 37 Ephrata, WA 98823 509-754-2011 Ext. 2740 CC: Michele Jaderlund., County Auditor Darryl Pheasant, County Treasurer Jerry Gingrich, Deputy Clerk of the Board It REC LE 11 V E D OCT - 6 2022 GW,ff COUNTY COMMISSIONERS "PROVIDING THE PUBLIC SAFE, RELIABLE, RESOURCE EFFECTIVE LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICES WITH INTEGRITY."