Marysville looks at how it spends hotel-motel tax money

MARYSVILLE – The City Council will vote Monday on spending $78,500 in hotel-motel tax money on six projects.

A committee came up with the following recommendations:

•Marysville Fourth of July $26,000 •Marysville Strawberry Festival $20,000

•Marysville Opera House Strategic Marketing Plan $15,000

•Marysville Getchell High School Twilight XC Invitational $10,000

•Marysville Tulalip Chamber Brew and Cider Fest $6,000

•Red Curtain Foundation for the Arts “The Rememberer” $1,500

At Monday’s council work session, Councilman Stephen Muller and Chief Executive Officer Gloria Hirashima said they were disappointed in the lack of applicants and that the projects are regular, ongoing events. The committee had more than $30,000 more to work with. That money will carry over to next year. Two applicants were not funded.

“We’d like a wider array of events and activities,” Hirashima said, adding next year the panel may expand its focus to include capital projects.

Muller said two hoteliers on the five-member committee said they would be willing to work with groups packaging stays with projects.

Steve Powell, president of the Marysville Kiwanis Club, said their Crabtoberfest project is new, and they did bring up working with hoteliers on packaging, so he doesn’t understand why their project wasn’t funded. Looking at the score sheets of the five judges, their numbers were comparable. He said their project is similar to the Brew and Cider Fest, which was funded.

“It’s always the same groups that get the money,” he said. “I’d like to see new events supported.”

Muller did say the panel was uncomfortable giving money to groups that would turn around and give it to someone else. Funds made at Crabtoberfest are given to scholarships for graduating seniors from Marysville high schools.