The Room Tax Commission and Explore Two Rivers board focused on how they track room-tax money, including a proposed shift to accrual-style reporting starting in 2025. They also heard mid-year tourism marketing results and a cautious plan for the rest of 2025 spending.
No public comments or communications recorded for this meeting.
The group discussed changing room tax revenue reporting from cash-based to an accrual basis starting in 2025, saying it would make monthly revenue tracking and year-over-year comparisons more accurate. The catch: they said they can’t apply the new method to prior years, which limits residents’ ability to compare trends across a longer timeline. They also noted the rest of the budget would stay cash-based to match other city departments—so residents should expect mixed accounting methods in the overall picture.
Members set expectations that a preliminary 2026 Explore Two Rivers budget should be ready for review by October 2025. This matters because room-tax spending decisions tend to get locked in quickly once budget season starts, and early drafts shape what’s considered “possible” later.
The commission/board was told the new City Manager, Kyle Kordell, will start Aug. 4, 2025. They also got a quick business-development roundup (Taco Bell work expected to begin, a new owner for the former US Bank building, Pop-Start Pizza expanding days, Violet Inn timing still unclear, and facade grant work underway). These updates are informational, but they’re also the kind of “good news list” that should eventually be backed up with timelines and outcomes residents can verify.
Tourism staff reported increased website use and continued social media growth, then recommended a cautious approach for the rest of 2025: limit new marketing purchases and stick to the existing plan. They also said the NFL Draft had little local impact (with gains concentrated in Brown County/Fox Valley), and outlined early 2026 marketing work including a visitor guide printer search and an AI-assisted shipwreck podcast/video campaign aimed at paddlers. The big question residents should keep asking is what success looks like—more overnight stays, higher room-tax revenue, or something else measurable.
Violet Inn and Suites had no update, while Sepia Chapel reported strong year-over-year growth and increased interest from out-of-town wedding parties. Parks & Rec reported concession sales ahead of 2024 and strong attendance/interest in concerts and programs, and said Two Rivers was selected for the EPA’s Recreation Economy for Rural Communities program with Main Street and Explore TR, with partner recruitment to follow after an EPA press release. This is worth tracking because “selected” programs can be meaningful—or can fizzle without clear deliverables and follow-through.