Petitioners request pieces of shrinking A-Tax pie
By Samantha Lyles, Staff Writer, slyles@newsandpress.net
The Darlington County Accommodations Tax Committee met on Thursday, April 5 to hear funding requests from local tourism-related festivals and events. The committee has their work cut out for them this year, as the funding requests totaled $110,784 and the funding pool has shrunk to just $25,000.
During the past few years, Accommodations Tax revenue has declined from approximately $82,000 to $65,000 to $55,000. The county appropriates from $49,000 to $60,000 to tourism-related programs. Also, three years ago, for the first time, the county began allocating the first $25,000 in accommodations tax funds plus 5 percent of the balance to the General Fund, as authorized by state law.
Requests this year were as follows:
• Black Creek Arts Council: $3,000
• Black Creek Arts Council / Yoga & Healing Arts Fest: $5,000
• Butler Heritage Foundation: $4,000
• City of Darlington / Williamson Park 5K Run: $2,500
• Darlington Chamber of Commerce / Freedom Fest: $15,000
• Darlington Downtown Revitalization / Taste of Darlington: $2,500
• E&E Benefit Concert / American Cancer Society: $10,000
• E&E Benefit Concert / Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: $5,000
• EdVenture, Inc. / EdVenture Hartsville Satellite: $5,000
• Florence CVB / Racefest on the Square: $3,000
• Hartsville Community Center Bldg. Comm / Center Theater: $12,704
• Hartsville Community Dev Foundation / Ag+Art Tour: $1,000
• Lamar Egg Scramble: $3,000
• New Vision Community Dev / Annual Community Rice Fest: $8,580
• Pilot Club / Sweet Potato Festival: $4,000
• SC Junior Golf Foundation / Players Championship: $7,500
• Society Hill Catfish Festival: $3,000
• Southeastern Bluegrass Assoc.: $10,000
• YMCA of Upper Pee Dee / Hartsville YMCA: $6,000
The Accommodations Tax Committee will meet again on Thursday, April 12 to make their recommendations, which will then be passed along to Darlington County Council for review and final approval.