Goodbye to the TPA

Ever wonder what that TPA tax is on your restaurant receipt? That is, if you are lucky enough to get in to a restaurant in Whitefish these days. It stands for Tourism Promotion Assessment. What? Craziness!

It was enacted in 2007 to promote tourism in the shoulder and winter seasons. We can all agree that it is no longer needed.

The TPA is “optional” meaning:

• You can ask your already overworked server to remove it from your bill.

• The residents don’t get to vote on it. It just goes on forever.

Explore Whitefish uses the money to promote tourism. In fact, they have done such a good job of it that they are now spending money to manage the tourism monster they have created.

Let’s stop promoting tourism and make it an optional affordable housing tax.

Nancy Schuber, Whitefish