North Augusta city council members will receive recommendations on how to disburse $76,065.13 collected through the accommodations tax to support events in the city.
The Accommodations Tax Advisory Committee met Dec. 8 to review requests for funds made by organizations planning events in 2022. Each of the eight organizations were at the meeting to give a presentation and answer questions.
Of the eight requests, only three will be recommended to receive the full amount request. The committee designated $25,000 for the Jack-O-Lantern Jubilee and $2,000 for new rack cards for the Arts and Heritage Center. The cards are distributed to welcome centers and hotels and motels to promote the center, and the city by extension, to tourists.
The third fully funded proposal is for a spring concert series to be held at the Sharon Jones Amphitheater. The organization Friends with Benefits is in line for $10,000 to promote and market the series.
“It’s always a humbling effort and a difficult effort. There’s so many good requests out there,” said committee chairman John Felak of Lookaway Inn. “You know, it’s money that’s been brought in from out of town, for the most part out of town, people coming in and spending accommodations, tax money, and we have the opportunity to generate even more people to come back in. That cycle for us has been great for a lot of a lot of businesses and the more we can develop that the better. A lot of new ideas here, which I think is very important to us.”
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One of the new ideas is a river event planned for Spring 2022. Mayor Briton Williams first proposed the idea during a July 19 council meeting.
“It’s always been odd that we live on the river, but never have actual events on the river,” Williams said.
A form was posted online for citizens to suggest an event they think the city should arrange on the river. Citizens were also invited to volunteer to serve on the committee to review the suggestions.
Although the main event will be held on the river, there will be activities at other locations including the amphitheater, and throughout Riverside Village.
That event received $10,000 of the $15,000 it had requested. The river event committee is expected to give council members a presentation during the Dec. 13 study session.
Council must approve the disbursement recommendations made by the Accommodations Tax Advisory Committee.
“I think the decisions we made today were going to have long lasting benefits for the city,” said Felak.
Other recommendations: Vaughn Taylor Championship, American Junior Golf Association -$5,000.00 of a requested $15,000; Pole Barn with fireplace, Olde Towne Preservation Association – $6,564.13 of a requested $35,000.00; 2022 Sharon Jones Amphitheater Concert Series, NAPRT – $15,000 of a requested $20,000.00; Entertainment Event MFOCTA/BLOA Joint Academy City of North Augusta – $2,500 of a requested $7,000.00.
Dana Lynn McIntyre is a Staff Reporter with The Augusta Press. You can reach her at dana@theaugustapress.com
