September 3, 2025
City of Oak Harbor Lodging Tax / Tourism Promotion 2026 Grant Cycle Announced
The Oak Harbor City Council approved the 2026 Lodging Tax / Tourism Promotion grant cycle and funding level at the September 2, 2025 regularly scheduled council meeting. The City Council approved a total of $475,000 in funding for the 2026 Lodging Tax / Tourism Promotion grants. Of the $475,000, $50,000 of the $475,000 is set aside as part of the interlocal agreement between the City and Whidbey and Camano Island Tourism. $17,000 is set aside for the approved extension of ChalkFest, an award made in 2025. The remaining $408,000 will be made available to eligible organizations for new single year and multi-year (2026-2028) grant awards.
Per Washington State regulations and Oak Harbor Municipal Code, the City of Oak Harbor Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (commonly known as LTAC) is required to meet, open a grant application period, review and make funding recommendation to the City Council for use of those funds.
Lodging Tax / Tourism Promotion grant applications will be accepted from September 15, 2025 through 4:30pm on September 26, 2025. Instructions and applications will be available starting at 9:00am on Monday, September 15, 2025 on the City’s LTAC website: Lodging Tax Advisory Committee | Oak Harbor, WA.
The purpose of the City of Oak Harbor’s Lodging Tax / Tourism Promotion program is to promote tourism activities within the City of Oak Harbor. Eligibility is defined broadly to encourage wide participation and innovative proposals. The source of the funds is the City's share of sales taxes collected on overnight stays within the City of Oak Harbor (lodging tax) as well as an additional lodging tax as authorized under State statutes. Recommendations for use of the funds are referred to the Oak Harbor City Council for approval by the LTAC on an annual basis.
Allowable uses for the lodging tax funds may be used, directly by any municipality or indirectly through a convention and visitor’s bureau or destination marketing organization for tourism marketing; marketing and operations of special events and festivals designed to attract tourists; operations and capital expenditures of tourism-related facilities owned or operated by a municipality, or a public facilities district or operations of tourism-related facilities owned or operated by nonprofit organizations (but not capital expenditures).
The Oak Harbor LTAC consists of seven voting members, which includes three individuals representing businesses that collect the tax imposed (Collectors), three individuals who represent organizations that are eligible to receive these grants (Receivers), and a Councilmember who serves as the Chair of the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee.
Non-profit and other tourism-related organizations are encouraged to apply for this grant funding. Questions can be directed to ltac@oakharbor.org.