Council signals approval for hotel‑occupancy‑tax requests; will fund from HOT balance and finalize in August

Copperas Cove — City Council reviewed requests for hotel‑occupancy‑tax (HOT) funding for fiscal 2025–26 and signaled support for the Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau, RabbitFest, Christkindlmarket and the Cove House bike tour, with staff to include those allocations in the proposed budget changes in August.

Arianna Beckman, director of budget, summarized HOT fund rules and the proposed budget. She told the council the beginning audited HOT balance was $380,406 and staff estimated about $214,000 in HOT revenues for the coming year; the proposed HOT expenditures totaled roughly $195,000, producing an estimated ending balance of about $399,000. Council heard requests that exceeded the available line‑item total by roughly $26,000, but staff said the audited fund balance could support the excess if council chooses to allocate the full…