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Lodging Tax for Tourism -Related, Small -Scale Municipality - <br />Owned Capital Projects and Operations General <br />Information <br />Kittitas County imposes a lodging tax assessed on the sale or charge made for furnishings of <br />lodging according to RCW 67.28.180 and RCW 67.28.181. In accordance with the tax and <br />Washington State law, a Lodging Tax Advisory Committee has also been established. The <br />committee's purpose is to advise and recommend to the Board of County Commissioners how <br />excise taxes on lodging should be allocated to support tourism which in turn generates <br />revenue. <br />Uses According to Law: <br />RCW 67.28.1816 states the following: <br />Lodging tax revenues under this chapter may be used, directly by any municipality or indirectly <br />through a convention and visitor bureau or destination marketing organization for: ... (c) <br />Supporting the operations and capital expenditures of tourism -related facilities owned or <br />operated by a municipality... <br />Definitions included in state law which should be considered in anv application reciu estin <br />funding include: <br />1. Tourism means economic activity resulting from tourists, which may include sales of <br />overnight lodging, meals, tours, gifts, or souvenirs. <br />2. Tourism promotion means activities, operations, and expenditures designed to <br />increase tourism, including but not limited to advertising, publicizing, or otherwise <br />distributing information for the purpose of attracting and welcoming tourists; <br />developing strategies to expand tourism; operating tourism promotion agencies; <br />and funding marketing or the operation of special events and festivals designated to <br />attract tourists. <br />3. Tourism -related facility means real or tangible personal property with a usable life of <br />three or more years, or constructed with volunteer labor that is: (a) (i) owned by a <br />public entity; (ii) owned by a nonprofit organization described under section 501 (c) <br />(3) of the federal internal revenue code of 1986, as amended; or (iii) owned by a <br />nonprofit organization described under section 501 (c) (6) of the federal internal <br />revenue code of 1986, as amended; a business organization, destination marketing <br />organizations, main street organization, lodging association, or chamber of <br />commerce; and (b) used to support tourism, performing arts, or to accommodate <br />tourist activities. <br />