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Commissioners approve tourism promotional agreements after hotel-motel tax increase to 6%
Summary
The board approved revised contracts allocating 50% of the county’s 6% hotel-motel tax to local visitor entities, with $20,000 annually to the ThiCal memorial project; contracts cite OCGA 48-13-51(b).
The Camden County Board of Commissioners approved revised tourism promotional service agreements that reflect the board’s earlier action raising the county hotel-motel tax to 6% effective Oct. 1, 2024. Finance director Nancy Clark Gonzalez told the board the contracts distribute 50% of the tax collected to the county’s tourism promotion entities (St. Marys and Kingsland convention and visitor centers and the Camden County Chamber of Commerce), with the allocation based on 2020 population. Clark Gonzalez said the contracts reference OCGA 48-13-51(b) and include a 60-day termination clause.
Clark Gonzalez explained the historical context: the county previously collected a 3% tax with a different distribution; the 50% distribution of the 6% is equivalent in dollar terms to previous distributions under the older rate. She said the ThiCal memorial project receives $20,000 annually and that fiscal year 2024 collections were nearly $165,000; the county transferred roughly $47,000 of prior receipts to the general fund in FY24.
Commissioners approved the three revised contracts by voice vote; the action does not amend the tax rate itself (that change took effect Oct. 1, 2024) but implements distribution and contracting consistent with the stated statute.
