Hotel tax updates show more money for the arts

Updates on collections of the city’s Hotel Occupancy Tax revenues presented favorable financial pictures for both the Live Music Fund and Cultural Arts Funding Program. A presentation at this month’s Arts Commission meeting showed that total hotel tax collections in July (for hotel business conducted in June) was $36.2 million. That total means about $2.8 million was generated for cultural arts, with staff reporting that collections are on track to exceed $14 million.

This month’s Music Commission meeting included a presentation that showed $492,495 from hotel tax receipts was allocated to the Live Music Fund, which will go into its second round next year with a budget of $5.2 million. That money will be available as grants for musicians and event promoters, as well as music venues, which are being added to the candidate pool for the first time.

Commission members asked Economic Development Department staff questions about the low four- and five-digit contributions in some months, with the April and December totals ($12,938 and $5,509, respectively) looking especially low. Staff said collections in the slower “shoulder season” months for local hotels always tend to be low, but they planned to double-check the reports to confirm the presentation was accurate.