PORT ANGELES — The Clallam County commissioners unanimously approved $204,014 in lodging tax grants to be distributed between seven organizations.
The Lodging Tax Advisory Committee received 10 applications this round; the last round of applicants were awarded grants in January. This time, three of the applications were ineligible for funding after review by the legal department.
The county is awarding:
• $60,000 to Field Arts & Events Hall for operational support;
• $55,000 to the Dungeness Crab Festival;
• $30,220 to the Feiro Marine Life Center for operations support;
• $21,000 for Olympic Peninsula Fungi Festival operations;
• $15,000 to the Clallam Bay/Sekiu Visitors Center for tourism-related promotion and marketing, as well as operation of the center;
• $10,000 for event support for the Peninsula Trails Coalition’s 2025 Tour de Lavender;
• $9,794 to Clallam County Public Works for Olympic Discovery Trail maintenance and purchase of an e-bike for smaller maintenance jobs.
Nearly all of the organizations received the amount for which they applied in full. Only Field Arts & Events Hall, which requested $100,000, and the Peninsula Trails Coalition, which requested $20,550, were not awarded the full amount.
Olympic Theatre Arts applied for $131,814 for an energy renovation upgrade that was deemed ineligible, as lodging tax funds cannot be used for capital expenditures for nonprofits.
The Community Boating Program’s request of $20,000 was also turned down, as it would be a capital expenditure for a nonprofit.
Clallam Bay/Sekiu Fun Days’ request of $12,375 was deemed partially ineligible for the same reason.
The lodging tax fund is supplied through a 4 percent excise tax applied to lodging costs for periods of less than 30 consecutive days. The funds must be used for tourism-related costs, such as promotion or acquisition or operation of tourism-related facilities, as governed by state law.
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Reporter Emma Maple can be reached by email at emma.maple@peninsuladailynews.com.
