Effingham County committee reviews draft hotel-motel tax distribution policy

At a meeting of an Effingham County budget committee, members discussed a draft policy and checklist for distributing hotel‑motel tax revenue and asked staff to revise the working document before bringing a final resolution to the full board.

The draft policy was presented by Josh, who said it is a “working document” that includes statutory requirements and an approval/denial checklist meant to guide a future resolution. Josh said the draft has not yet gone to the state’s attorney and asked members for suggestions. "This is a working document" he said, "it does include all the statutory requirements."

Committee members pressed for clearer eligibility criteria. Mike, a committee member, said any funded activity should have "county and community involvement that encourages family gatherings" and recommended continuing past support for fireworks and larger community festivals. He also urged that the county avoid funding events not appropriate for all ages. Members discussed whether admission fees should affect eligibility; one committee member said charging admission should not automatically disqualify a request if applicants can document how the fees are used.

Members asked the drafter to add application timing and post‑event reporting. Several members favored setting a deadline earlier in the year (suggestions included February–March) instead of the current April–August window, while retaining flexibility for later “pop up” events. The draft already proposes a post‑event report requirement; committee members asked for that form to include a short, uniform set of bullet points (for example: estimated out‑of‑town visitors, estimated hotel stays) rather than long narrative reports.

Other provisions discussed included a carry‑over of past practice that requires applicants to show they sought municipal support when an event is held entirely within a municipality, and a promotional requirement asking applicants to show they will market local hotels/motels/short‑term rentals to event attendees.

The committee did not vote on the policy. Josh said he will revise the draft to reflect the feedback and return a revised proposal to a future meeting where the board would consider adopting a resolution.

Ending: Committee members asked staff to circulate a revised draft that tightens dates, clarifies post‑event reporting fields and documents the statutory requirements before the item comes back for a formal vote.