Old Town Hiram Business Association outlines marketing budget as council considers hotel‑motel excise distribution

The Hiram City Council heard a presentation from the Old Town Hiram Business Association on the group’s use of hotel‑motel excise tax funds and a proposed budget for the coming year as the council considered renewing the distribution agreement.

Jody, who introduced the agenda item, said the council already has the current contract and the association’s reports of expenditures. April Mathis, treasurer of the Old Town Hiram Business Association, reviewed the association’s expenses for the current year and a proposed budget for the next year.

Why it matters: the hotel‑motel excise tax distribution provides local promotional funding that supports downtown events and marketing. How the council allocates that fund determines what the association can spend on advertising and events that aim to draw visitors and support downtown businesses.

What the association reported and proposed: Mathis said the association spent roughly $25,000 on billboards and digital ads this year and about $16,000 on event coordinators; screen/movie advertising cost about $12,000. The group spent about $8,200 on a content creator and listed roughly $8,400 for promotional items and $5,000 for mailers and roughly $8,400 on printing (including event shirts).

For the coming year the association proposed changes intended to focus impressions more strategically. The proposal reduced billboard and digital advertising to about $15,000 while increasing funds available for event coordination (Mathis estimated event coordination might reach $25,000 if the association partners with the city on more events). Other proposed allocations included about $10,000 for screen/movie ads, $21,000 for a content creator, $7,000 for promotional items, $5,000 for mailers and $7,000 for printing. Mathis also requested a small reserve for event‑specific items such as signage and wristbands.

Partnerships and next steps: Mathis said the association has been partnering with the city on events such as Juneteenth and Red, White and Boom and asked the council to consider working with the association on a shared event coordinator. Council and staff agreed to move the item to new business for a future meeting so the renewal and proposed distribution can be considered formally.

No formal approval or disbursement decision was made at the meeting; council staff said they would place the hotel‑motel distribution agreement on a future agenda as new business.