Council approves $115,000 in lodging‑tax awards after LTAC revises recommendations

The Monroe City Council approved revised recommendations from the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) for 2026 awards, approving $115,000 in funding for tourism and events after LTAC reduced certain line items and redistributed funds.

Management analyst Liam McCorkle told the council LTAC reduced the Cascade Loop membership award from an original $6,000 request to $1,000 while preserving a media‑rich membership that keeps Monroe on the Cascade Loop website and buys one blog or social media post. LTAC also modestly increased awards for several local events and marketing initiatives — including Explore Monroe digital marketing, Fair Days Parade, the Jamie Bridal 5K, Fall Harvest Festival and Old Country Christmas — by reallocating savings.

Council member Hanford moved to approve the LTAC recommendations and authorize the mayor to execute contracts; the motion passed unanimously, 7‑0. Council members praised LTAC’s willingness to revisit the packet after council feedback and highlighted the potential for tourism events such as Ignite the Northwest to draw visitors.

Details: LTAC's revised packet reduced Cascade Loop membership from $6,000 to $1,000 and increased funding for local events; the full LTAC recommendation as presented to council totaled $115,000. Staff warned that any council change to the award recommendations would trigger a restart of the LTAC 45‑day process.

Provenance: Staff presentation and council vote on LTAC award recommendations recorded in the presentation and subsequent motion.