Calistoga council votes to join Napa Valley Tourism Improvement District after hotels seek assurances

The Calistoga City Council voted on Dec. 3 to consent to the renewal of the Napa Valley Tourism Improvement District (NVTID) and to include Calistoga in the renewed district. Assistant City Manager Celaya outlined that the assessment is an industry‑paid lodging assessment — 2% of the room rate collected by lodging operators and remitted to the district; roughly 1% of collections covers local administrative costs. "That's correct," Celaya said when the mayor asked whether the assessment is collected by the city and forwarded to the tourism corporation.

Visit Napa Valley President and CEO Lindsay Gallagher and Civitas consultant John Lambeth answered council questions about metrics and plan amendments. Gallagher said valley‑level metrics show Calistoga recovered quickly after the pandemic and that Calistoga's transient occupancy tax receipts rose from about $6 million in 2018 to nearly $13 million by 2023. Several hoteliers and lodging executives — including Michael Lennon (Calistoga Spa Hot Springs), George Gugel and Dave Elcon — spoke in favor of renewal, arguing the district funds coordinated marketing that benefits Calistoga businesses.

Council members acknowledged concerns raised at a prior board of supervisors meeting and said they sought assurances: the resolution before the council includes suggested bylaw changes to limit voting by contracted marketing staff and requests that Visit Napa Valley increase funding to local welcome centers. After discussion, Councilmember Gift moved to grant consent to the county to renew the NVTID to include Calistoga; the motion passed on roll call (Eisenberg aye; Gift aye; Cooper aye; Vice Mayor Lopez Ortega aye; Mayor Williams aye).

Why it matters: The NVTID is funded by lodging assessments, not general public funds, and the district directs marketing and tourism strategy across Napa Valley. Joining ensures Calistoga participates in regional marketing but the council emphasized it expects ongoing engagement and that the county and NVTC address local concerns.

Next steps: The council approved the resolution as modified to reflect the additions discussed; staff will monitor follow‑up and the board of supervisors' process for final plan renewal.