PORT TOWNSEND — Does free parking at Fort Worden State Park attract more visitors to the area, or simply benefit city residents?
The Port Townsend Lodging Tax Advisory Committee posed that question before recommending that the City Council scale down its appropriation from the lodging tax reserve fund to keep parking free to the public.
After three consecutive votes during a Tuesday afternoon meeting, the committee finally decided to recommend that the City Council use $5,000 of the reserve fund to pay to the state Department of Parks and Recreation to help underwrite parking fees at Fort Worden State Park.
The amount is significantly less than the $20,000 the council appropriated in the city budget last month.
The council in February is expected to make its first 2005 installment of $10,000 to state parks.
Bed tax receipts
The lodging tax reserve fund is comprised of tax revenue derived from bed tax dollars the city collects.
By state law, the 2 percent lodging tax can only be used to promote tourism.