The Aberdeen City Council approved the awards list for projects funded by money collected through lodging tax funds and significantly reduced the amount originally proposed for Greater Grays Harbor Inc. and gave some funding to every project that applied.
The lodging tax funds support events and projects in Aberdeen that boost tourism and bring more visitors to the area.
In the final recommendations for the funds, Greater Grays Harbor had its funding cut from $20,000 to $8,000. The money was to be used to market Aberdeen to potential visitors, mostly on the internet. Funding for the Aberdeen Beautification Committee, which maintains the flower baskets downtown and takes on other beautification projects, saw its funding increased from $5,000 to $8,000.
Winterfest and Summerfest, new events managed by the Aberdeen Revitalization Movement, received $4,500 and $3,000, respectively, after receiving zero funding in the first Lodging Tax Advisory Committee recommendations. In total, there was $75,000 available in lodging tax funds this year.
The Lodging Tax Advisory Committee made its initial recommendations in October. The council voted to send them back, and the committee came up with a second set of recommendations.
The committee freed up some funding by removing $7,000 that had been recommended for city traffic control projects. All other groups that applied got at least some funding in the new recommendations.
Most council members voted in favor of the revised funding at Wednesday night’s council meeting, but a couple voted “no” in the voice vote. Council member Karen Rowe said she didn’t like that all organizations that applied for funding received some in the new recommendations.
“I don’t feel the lodging tax fund is the fund for a lot of these projects and events taking place,” she said. “I feel like we went from one end of the spectrum to the other end, where everyone willing to put in an application received funding.”
The Founders Day Parade had its lodging tax funds reduced from $6,000 to $3,000 in the new report.
The initial recommendations, which drew criticism from groups who felt they were underfunded, gave priority to proposals that attracted overnight visitors.
Council member Dee Anne Shaw spoke in support of the revised funding, and said if council members want proof of visitors staying in hotels to be the primary criteria for lodging tax awards, they should change it.
“If this council wants to have a narrow definition of how we’re going to make awards, that’s certainly our prerogative, but that wasn’t what was in place when we solicited applications this year,” said Shaw.
The final funding amounts for each project are written below:
• Greater Grays Harbor-Marketing/Advertising $8,000
• Summerfest $3,000
• Winterfest $4,500
• Our Aberdeen — Art Projects $7,000
• Our Aberdeen — Art Drives $6,000
• Founders Day Parade $3,000
• Art Walk $3,000
• USPA Powerlifting $5,000
• Midnight Cruizers —Car Show $2,500
• Friends of the Aberdeen Museum — Myrtle Street Dance $3,000
• Alpha Media — Concerts in the Park $4,000
• Farmers Market $7,000
• GH Historical Seaport $3,000
• 98520 Music and Arts District Initiative $8,000
• ABC Flower Baskets $8,000
