PORT ANGELES — The $200,000 bed tax money collected so far for marketing a still-to-be-built Oak Street conference center will stay in the bank — instead of being spent on increased tourism advertising.
That was the decision Wednesday of the city’s Lodging Tax Advisory Committee.
The vote came after Red Lion Hotel General Manager Michael Luehrs and other members of the committee argued that the money should be used to promote tourism now, instead of waiting for the conference center to be built.
But others argued that the money should be kept in reserve for the conference center — or as enticement for a future conference center developer if the present developer, Randal Jay Ehm, withdraws.
Luehrs said the money was needed now, given the delays surrounding the conference center project.
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