PFD Chair: Tourism Promotion Area Tax Could Fund Proposed Sports Commission

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At the Centralia City Council meeting on Tuesday night, a tourism promotion area was proposed to help support the creation of a potential Sports Commission.

 Todd Chaput, chairman of the Public Facilities District, said the creation of a TPA would add a $2 tax to occupied rooms of each lodging facility in Centralia and Chehalis.

To form a TPA, 60 percent of the local motels and hotels would have to be in favor of the measure. 

The flat fee, similar to a lodging tax, would bring in $200,000 annually between the two cities. The funds would be allocated by the cities to the Sports Commission, which would first start off as a subcommittee of the PFD until it could reach nonprofit status. 

The money would be used by the Sports Commission to give guidance and market the area sports facilities. It would aim to attract and promote sporting events as well. 



“Between all the facilities in Centralia and Chehalis, sports is huge. … We don’t have anything in the area that comes close to that potential of bringing new money in,” Chaput said. 

The Sports Commission was originally proposed as a countywide effort, but Chaput said that direction has changed to focus solely on Centralia and Chehalis for now.

Tackling the whole county would be too large of a task to start off with, Chaput said, adding it would be easier to start small and grow from there. 

City Manager Rob Hill told the council he is supportive of the TPA. He said more information would be provided to the council, and an action item would be presented in the future.