Press Release
Commissioners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Lodging Tax Funding Recommendations for 2023

Kittitas County, WA - 11/22/2022 - The county-wide consolidated lodging tax workgroup met Friday, November 18, 2022, to review 2023 grant applications for special events and projects. Funding for the grants comes from a special sales tax collected on overnight lodging facilities throughout the county. The tax is collected by Kittitas County and the cities of Roslyn, Cle Elum, and Ellensburg. Each entity contributes 13% of the collected funds for this annual grant process and appoints representatives to the workgroup that reviews the applications. Funds made available by each jurisdiction this year totaled $391,459.85. The workgroup recommended awards totaling $310,247.90.

As part of the review process, the workgroup heard from each applicant recommended for funding and then deliberated on the final awards.  The final awards recommendations must now be approved by each participating jurisdiction’s legislative body before becoming official. The following applications were approved for funding for 2023:

Applicants - 2023 Recommended Awards

• Laughing Horse Arts Foundation dba Valley Musical Theatre - 2023 Summer Mainstage Musical, $3835.00
• Roslyn Downtown Association, $18,250.00
• Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce – Pioneer Days/Independence Day Celebration, 14,050.00
• Dru Bru Taproom and Brewery - Snoqualmie Tunnel 5k Glow Run, $1,700.00
• Cle Elum Downtown Association, $15,000.00
• Gallery One - Annual Marketing Plan Improved, $15,000.00
• Webb Events LLC - Cowboy Cross, $45,500.00
• Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce - Kittitas County Chamber Summit Series, $5,000.00
• Ellensburg Rodeo Hall of Fame- 100th Year Anniversary of the Ellensburg Rodeo Celebrations, $30,000.00
• Ellensburg Rodeo - 100th Anniversary of the Ellensburg Rodeo, $20,000.00
• Kittitas Valley Event Center - Patriot Night Under the Lights, $25,000.00
• Punch Projects: Fire House Project, $25,000.00
• The Patch at Jensen Farms, $3,500.00
• Easton Memorial Day Celebration, $3,360.90
• Suncadia’s Kaleidoscope Festival, $15,000.00
• Roslyn Ronald Cle Elum Heritage Club - Cultural Tourism Outreach, $20,000.00
• Junk-tiquen in the Burg, $5,052.00
• Cle Elum Roundup Association, $14,000.00
• Washington State Ski & Snowboard Museum - Annual Marketing Campaign, $16,000.00
• Kittitas County Historical Society, Inc. – Marketing, $15,000.00

If your event is not listed here, it was not recommended for funding. The county-wide consolidated lodging tax workgroup process embodies strong cooperation between the participating cities and the county.  It also provides a streamlined process for applicants with one set of rules, coordinated timing for decisions, and one standardized application and review process.

Kittitas County, from the Cascades to the Columbia, and online at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us

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Contact: Emily Smith, Administrative Assistant
(509)-962-7508
emily.smith@co.kittitas.wa.us