by Trish Rudder
Applications for the Town of Bath Hotel/Motel tax funding for Fiscal Year 2026 are due by Friday, February 28.
The request is for year 2025-26, which begins July 1, 2025 and ends June 30, 2026.
The hotel/motel occupancy tax helps fund organizations that promote tourism, beautification, historical or cultural efforts in the town.
The application can be picked up at Town Hall or downloaded from the town website, townofbath@wvdsl.net under “Forms” listed under the “Government” section.
On the Town of Bath website under Request for Hotel Motel Funds, the Hotel Occupancy Tax code has a section in Chapter 7, Article 18 that explains what expenditures are permissible.
The applicant must state what the project is about, how the project will benefit tourism and which permissible expenditure the project qualifies under the occupancy tax code in Chapter 7, Article 18.
Each year the town finance committee reviews the funding applications to determine how the organization/project will benefit tourism in the Town of Bath.
As dictated by law, 50% of the lodging tax collected goes to the local tourism bureau, Travel Berkeley Springs, for tourism promotion. The other half is distributed to the local groups that are approved by the town’s finance committee.
The town collected $74,087 in hotel/motel tax from July 1 to December 31, 2024, which is the first half of the fiscal year that ends June 30, 2025.
Laura Smith of Travel Berkeley Springs said on Monday that TBS received $37,043 for that period. The town distributed the other half to fund recipients.
About 16 organizations have received hotel/motel tax funding in the past.
