| WKSR: Archived News |
|
Commissioners Debate Money for Tourism at Meeting
Posted on January 22, 2013
One of the most debated issues at today’s county commission meeting was in regard to amending Private Act Chapter No. 133 of the Private Acts of 1996. This allows proceeds from county taxes to be used on buildings owned by the county. Five such buildings were named: the courthouse, sheriff’s department, ambulance service, health department, and dog pound. The amended text now specifies that the school buildings are exempt from this.
Commissioner Janice Reece asked that an amendment be added to that which would give the Giles County Tourism Foundation 25% of the revenue generated by the Hotel/Motel tax. This sum would equal $20,000. According to Reece, most counties award 40% of their hotel/motel tax money to their tourism foundations, but they were only asking for 25%. She said that the tourism department would have to close its doors if something was not done and that Tourism Director Joyce Woodard had even been spending money from her own pocket in order to defray tourism expenses. As it stands, they were operating at a $5000 deficit.
Several other commissioners, particularly Tommy Pope, felt that the money would better be spent on the highway department. Reece’s amendment needed a two-thirds majority in order to pass, which it did not.
After the Private Act was approved, a motion was made to give the Tourism Department the $5000 it needs in order to stay open. This motion passed, after which Commissioner Pope moved to take $150,000 out of the general fund and give it to the highway department. The commission is unable to make such a move, so this will have to go to the budget committee, which next meets January 30 at 9:00 a.m. in the basement boardroom of the courthouse annex.
T.E.
|
|
