Resort tax up 15 percent in February

Resort tax collections in Whitefish were up for February.

Collections for the month were up 15 percent or $22,000 compared with the year before.

City Manager Chuck Stearns said some of the large increase because of delinquency collections that were due for December and January, but were paid in February. He estimated about 5 percent of the increase was related to the delinquencies.

“But February would have still been significantly higher even without the delinquency collections,” Stearns noted.

For the year to date, collections are 6.32 percent or $94,000 higher than the same period last year.

The 2 percent resort tax is collected at lodging, bars and restaurants, and retail establishments in Whitefish. The tax is generally used as an indicator of how local businesses have fared in a particular month or year.

Collections are used for street reconstruction and property-tax rebates for city residents. Five percent is used for parks and the remaining 5 percent for administration.