Accomodations Tax meetings begin
By Samantha Lyles, Staff Writer, slyles@newsandpress.net
The Darlington County Accommodations Tax Committee convened its first meeting of 2017 on March 23 to consider funding recommendations for the 2017/18 fiscal year.
The Accommodations Tax Committee is responsible for dispersing a $55,000 funding pool to applicants whose venues and events increase local tourism and overnight hotel stays. The accommodations tax pool comes from the state-mandated two-percent tax on hotel and motel stays, which is collected by the state and channeled back to counties and municipalities. These agencies then distribute accommodations tax monies to applicants who can demonstrably increase local tourism.
This year’s applicants and their funding requests are as follows:
Black Creek Arts Council RenoFest: $15,000
Butler Heritage Foundation / Butler Week: $12,000
City of Darlington / Williamson Park 5K: $2,500
Darlington Chamber of Commerce / Freedom Fest: $10,000
Darlington County Cultural Realism Complex / Total Package: $52,000
Darlington Downtown Revitalization / Taste of Darlington: $2,500
Darlington Downtown Revitalization / Yam Jam: $5,000
EdVenture, Inc. / EdVenture Hartsville Satellite: $5,000
Florence CVB / Darlington Car Hauler Parade: $5,000
Hartsville Community Center Bldg. Comm/Center Theater: $12,600
Hartsville Community Dev. Foundation / Ag+Art Tour: $1,000
Hartsville Community Organization / Frets & Necks Fest: $12,500
Lamar Egg Scramble: $5,000
Pilot Club / Sweet Potato Festival: $4,000
SC African American Heritage Foundation: $7,875
SC Junior Golf Foundation / Players Championship: $7,500
Society Hill Catfish Festival: $3,000
Southeastern Bluegrass Association: $12,000
YMCA: $5,500
In total, these requests add up to $179,975, but the total A-tax funding available only amounts to $55,000. Applicants will be allowed to address the committee at their next meeting and make a case for why their event or organization should receive funding. Committee members will consider their requests and make funding recommendations, which will be forwarded to Darlington County Council for final approval.
Officers will also be elected at the next meeting, since this first meeting lacked a quorum. Members of the 2017/18 Darlington County Accommodations Tax Committee include Joey Saleeby, Joyce Wingate, Steve Tinney, Scotty Jeffords, Carol Bishop, Hannah Stanley, and David McFarland.
The Darlington County Accommodations Tax Committee will meet again at 6 p.m. April 30 at the Courthouse Annex, located at 1625 Harry Byrd Hwy in Darlington.
