OAK HARBOR, Wash. — The Oak Harbor Lodging Tax Advisory Committee on Oct. 29 recommended a slate of lodging‑tax-funded grants for events and tourism promotion and set the City of Oak Harbor award as a multi‑year grant while most other awards were to be single‑year, the panel said after a detailed line-by-line review.

The committee, charged with advising council on how to spend money from the city’s lodging‑tax fund, debated whether to calculate awards using straight averages or by dropping high and low scores. Chair members said the group needed a defensible, council‑ready rationale for translating scores into awards; the panel agreed to use percentage tiers tied to score bands as a starting point.

"I did figure out the math here," the chair said while presenting a tiered approach—90 points and above at 90 percent funding, 80 and above at 80 percent, and 70 and above at 65 percent—to provide an objective baseline that the committee could then adjust by discretion.

Committee members proposed numerous line‑item edits during the meeting. Some of the notable adjustments included reducing the Ren Faire allocation after members noted it was a recent and growing event; trimming first‑time or high‑ask items such as the motorcycle‑club request; and moving modest additional funds to Chamber and Main Street programs after discussion about those organizations’ roles in visitor services and downtown promotion. The committee also removed funding for Meerkirk Gardens on the basis that the site is outside Oak Harbor city limits and should pursue Island County support.

Several applicants and city staff joined portions of the meeting or were allowed short remarks limited to whether they preferred single‑ or multi‑year awards. Cynthia Mason, president of the Oak Harbor Music Festival, said, "I would prefer that the application be put into the 1 year category," explaining rising costs and event uncertainty. Eric Marshall, executive director of the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce, said he also preferred a single‑year award at the recommended level.

Deputy City Administrator and Finance Director David Goldman urged multi‑year treatment for the marina debt service, noting that the request is intended to cover multi‑year debt service rather than a one‑time expense. "It's supposed to pay for the debt service, which is anticipated to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 years," he said.

After further small reallocations to balance the pot, a committee member moved to recommend the package on the screen to city council, stipulating that the City of Oak Harbor award be multi‑year and most other awards be single‑year. The motion passed by unanimous voice vote.

The recommendation now goes to Oak Harbor City Council for final approval; the committee said it will notify applicants when the council agenda includes the item. The council may accept, modify, or return the recommendations to the panel.

The committee’s work included not only event grants but also discussion of what the lodging tax should fund: direct marketing intended to attract visitors from 50 miles or more, versus infrastructure or pass‑throughs. Members repeatedly emphasized the need for documentation in award packages so the committee and council can justify awards to auditors and the public.