Committee to decide sports authority funding tonight

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAU) – Wausau city leaders will re-visit how to divide up this year’s share of room tax funding tonight.

The City Council sent a spending plan back to the finance committee last month so the panel could decide whether to use some money that had been set aside for the Badger State Games for a new sports authority proposal.

The city only expects to generate $580,000 in revenues this year, down from the $606,000 it took in last year. The money is generated from an 8 percent room tax hotels and motels charge customers for each night’s stay.

The Wausau/Central Wisconsin Convention and Visitor’s Bureau decided last fall to stop funding the Badger State Games. It now wants to use the special tax to pay for a sports authority that will generate new economic revenue for the community.

That half-percent tax, however, has been redistributed among other groups that use room tax dollars.

Regardless of what the committee decides on the half-percent tax, other events and organizations will likely get anywhere from 10 to 35 percent less this year than in 2009 because of the fewer room night stays.