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Home ▸ Departments ▸ Commissioners' Office

Lodging Unit

The Lake County Lodging Unit Tax Office was created to establish rules and regulations for the administration and allocation of countywide excise taxes collected on lodging as permitted by Ohio Revised Code Section 5739.09.  The Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution on June 5, 1989 to implement a countywide excise tax on all transactions by which lodging is furnished to transient guests, and subsequently established rules and regulations governing the imposition, collection and distribution of those tax dollars. Download form here…

The excise tax on lodging shall be spent solely to make contributions to the convention and visitors bureau operating in the county.   The Visitors Bureau is charged with promoting countywide tourism, arts and culture, observing its mission:  

·         To promote Lake County, Ohio, through the travel and tourism industry by marketing to associations, motor coach operators and individuals through advertisements, trade shows and other educational means.

·         To increase public awareness of historical, cultural and recreational opportunities in Lake County. 

·         To increase the number of overnight visits in Lake County and the number of visitors to area attractions, restaurants, festivals, museums and retail shops for pleasure, business and enrichment.

Recent Visitors’ Bureau special projects have included collaboration with the Lake County Ohio Port and Economic Development Authority and Laketran to raise awareness about local opportunities, with its campaign “Live. Work. Visit. Lake County.”  The project entailed Laketran Park-n-Ride Cleveland Express commuter buses being outfitted with vivid graphics featuring some of the treasured beaches in Lake County, the expansive Lake Metroparks, vineyards, and wineries, the Holden Arboretum and the Lake County Captains. 
  

The Visitors Bureau also offers the Arts and Culture Fund grants program to provide grants for the presentation of high-quality arts and cultural projects that further regional impact of, and public awareness of, arts and culture in Lake County.   For the purposes of the Arts and Culture Fund grants program, projects must be arts and cultural in scope. Examples of eligible disciplines for projects are as follows: arts education, history, literary arts, media arts, nature/science (museum-based), performing arts and visual arts. Preference is given to projects that add to the breadth and depth of Lake County’s arts and cultural programming and that build the capacity of organizations to grow arts and culture audiences in and outside of Lake County. 

The Lake County Visitors Bureau (LCVB) Arts & Culture Small Grants Program awards up to $500.00 to assist with funding one-time events, start-up events or miscellaneous projects related to arts and culture tourism.  Learn more about the Visitors Bureau at  http://www.lakevisit.com/

LODGING UNIT TAX OFFICE: LODGING UNIT TAX FORM
Please contact Ariel D. Hill, Finance Specialist
[email protected]
440-350-2369
105 Main Street
Painesville, OH  44077