Resort tax rebounds for July
After a sluggish start to summer,
Whitefish’s resort tax numbers rebounded in a big way in July. City
Finance Director Rich Knapp reports that collections were up 5.1
percent over last July.
“July is the largest and therefore the
most important month and this is the best July since 2008,” Knapp
reports.
Bars and restaurants saw the largest
gains, Knapp said. The sector reports a 9.3 percent gain in
collections over last year, accounting for more than $90,000.
Lodging was up 2.9 percent at $56,106 and retail was up 2.1 percent
at $100,325.
All told, $246,642 in collections were
reported. The record July of 2008 saw nearly $300,000 in
collections.
The rebound comes after the worst June
since 2007. Only $185,838 was collected in June, down 4 percent.
City Manager Chuck Stearns said the delayed opening of Glacier
National Park’s Going-to-the-Sun Road impacted resort tax
collections.
Some businesses have told the Pilot
that this July was one of their best ever. They say it’s possibly
due to tourists delaying their vacations until the Sun Road opened,
as opposed to outright canceling the vacation.
Despite the down June, Resort Tax
collections for fiscal year 2011 closed at the end of the month up
by 8.7 percent compared to fiscal year 2010. More than $1.67
million was collected, ending a two-year slide from a high set in
2008.
The biggest gains in 2011 came from
bars and restaurants, which finished 15.5 percent better than 2010.
Lodging was up 12 percent and retail was up 2.4 percent.