Council advances tax grants for tourism projects

Projects include music series, holiday events

Simpsonville, S.C. — Simpsonville City Council advanced more than $150,000 in tax grants for tourism-related projects in Simpsonville at the first Committee of the Whole meeting for 2021.

Based on recommendations by City staff and the Local Accommodations Tax Committee, Council voted 7-0 on Tuesday to accept the $154,500 in grants as presented to be placed on the agenda for the next business meeting. State law requires municipalities like the City of Simpsonville to collect an accommodations tax from hotels, bed and breakfasts and other lodging facilities that is distributed back to cities and counties for tourism-related spending by a formula based on the point of sale.

City Administrator Dianna Gracely told Council most of the funding requests are similar to requests that Council has approved in past years but added some amounts were a little higher. 

"Of course because of COVID, we did see a reduction in our state accommodations tax receipts," Gracely said. "When the Committee met, we looked at where we could reduce some of the requests so that the events could still happen and organizations would still have what they need. Those recommendations were based on not only available funding for this cycle but also what they requested in terms of reimbursement in the past. We believe that it's an equitable distribution of those funds and that everyone will still be able to hold successful events with the recommendations before you."

The Local Accommodations Tax Committee, which is appointed by Council, met in December to discuss and approve the funding requests to be used between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022. Applicants for accommodation tax grants include the City of Simpsonville, Simpsonville Area Chamber of Commerce, Simpsonville Arts Foundation, Simpsonville Garden Club and South Greenville Fair.

Councilwoman Sherry Roche asked Tuesday night why the City is recommended to receive $7,000 for the Simpsonville Summer Music Series & Food Truck Rodeo when it requested $10,000. Gracely said the City and Simpsonville Arts Foundation partner on the event.

"We believe that we can book bands that would draw all the types of crowds that we had this past year and continue to offer the event with the lower amount of funding," Gracely said, referring to the several thousands of people who attended concerts held in the summer at the CCNB Amphitheatre at Heritage Park. "That's just based on having booked bands in the past and what we know generally we pay bands to come. Some we're able to get for a much lower cost and some we pay more, but the average tends to be so that that would be sufficient funding to have quality entertainment at that event this year."

The Simpsonville Arts Foundation is also recommended to receive $8,000 for the summer music series. Below is the full list of requests and staff recommendations.

Council will take up the recommendations for a formal vote at the business meeting on Feb. 9 to be held at 6:30 p.m. via an online meeting service that will be live streamed on the City of Simpsonville YouTube Channel.

Simpsonville residents and business owners who would like to participate in the Citizen Comments portion of the agenda may leave a voice message on Mayor Paul Shewmaker's office phone at 864-967-5400. Callers must leave messages no longer than three minutes, state their names and addresses at the beginning of the message and refrain from foul language as the message will be played during the live stream.

Accommodations Tax Funds Requests & Recommendations for 2021-2022