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Madison tourism board awards $100,000 in August grants to local events and groups
Summary
The Madison/Jefferson County tourism board approved roughly $100,000 in grant awards at its August meeting, allocating funds to local festivals, historical groups and arts organizations and asking some recipients to return with progress reports.
The Madison/Jefferson County Tourism Board voted to allocate $100,000 in August grant funding to multiple local events and organizations, board leaders announced at their meeting. The board read a list of recipients and award amounts and asked a subset of recipients to return with updates on how the funding will be used.
The awards follow an earlier round in March, when the board distributed approximately $450,000 in grants, and bring the board’s near-term award total to about $550,000 for the year. The board also reviewed the treasurer’s report showing month-to-month revenue and available funds before approving the awards.
Board Treasurer Dr. David Braemar delivered the monthly financial summary. “So for the month of, July, the innkeeper’s tax was $100,972.36. Almost 28% above last July,” Braemar said, and noted the board’s current bank balance would cover remaining budget items before leaving funds to carry into next year.
The board read award amounts for the August round: Chelsea Jubilee ($3,000), Dugan Hollow Farms ($2,200), Nevills Grove ($7,300), Nights Before Christmas ($6,000), Madison Regatta ($15,000), Unmasked ($1,950), Vintage Thunder ($10,000), Jefferson County Historical Society ($10,000), Madison Area Arts Alliance ($15,000) and Visit Madison Inc. ($14,000). The board invited Chelsea Jubilee to return with a progress report and said it would like applicants to provide specific plans showing how grant money will “move the needle.”
Board members who visited Madison Junior High School earlier in the day said they were impressed with student programs and encouraged further collaboration, but the board clarified the school is not expected to return to the meeting tonight. At least one board member urged applicants who want feedback to reach out to any board member so the board can explain how decisions were made.
No ordinances, statutes, or external approvals were cited as conditions for these awards during the meeting. The board did not record a separate roll-call vote for each award in the transcript; the chair announced the awards after the treasurer’s report and discussion and the meeting minutes record the grants as awarded.
