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Council approves hot-funds grant for Commerce Leadership Institute 5K; two council members abstain
Summary
The City Council approved a hotel-occupancy-tax (HOT) funding request from the Commerce Leadership Institute to restore a 5K run as part of the Bodark Bash; two council members who serve on the CLI board abstained from the vote.
The City Council approved a request July 15 from the Commerce Leadership Institute for hotel-occupancy-tax (HOT) funds to support a 2025 5K run associated with the Bodark Bash.
City Manager Michael Lisenby explained that HOT funds are subject to strict guidelines and must support events that bring additional overnight visitors and fall into eligible categories. The Commerce Leadership Institute requested FY2025 HOT fund allocation from available FY2025 fund balance to advertise and attract participants outside Commerce; staff recommended approval.
A public hearing produced no public comment. Before the vote, two council members said they would abstain because they serve on the CLI board; one spoke as “Council member (on board of the CLI)” and the other was identified as Councilman Mueller. The remaining council members moved, seconded and approved the request by voice vote.
Why it matters: HOT funds are restricted by state and local guidelines; the funding decision uses current fiscal-year fund balance (FY2025), not the FY2026 budget. The requested funding is intended to help generate lodging demand by bringing runners and visitors to Commerce for the event.
Next steps: staff will execute the allocation and monitor compliance with HOT guidelines; the council did not specify the grant amount on the record.
