Oconee County commission recommends $70,000 in accommodations-tax grants to local events and venues

The Oconee County Parks, Recreation and Tourism Commission voted unanimously Feb. 27 to recommend $70,000 in accommodations-tax grants across local festivals, arts groups and event venues during its grant-review cycle.

Commission staff said 13 applications requested $93,044 in total; staff determined $91,007.49 was eligible and recommended using up to $70,000 from available ATAX balances. "We have 13 total applications this time. There was $93,044 in total request. After after I reviewed them ... eligible dollar amount of $91,007.49, and we're recommending utilizing up to $70,000," the county staffer stated during the meeting.

The recommendation allocates award amounts to a mix of events and organizations the commission said are intended to support tourism impact and local quality-of-life programming. The commission filled out and approved allocations in one round of votes that commissioners described as following past practice: place an initial dollar recommendation for every applicant, then adjust as needed to match the recommended total.

Votes at a glance (recommended to county council): City of Seneca — $8,000 (motion approved) Discover Upcountry — $8,000 (motion approved) Eagles Nest Art Center — $5,405 (motion approved) Lake and Mountain Quilters Guild — $1,550 (motion approved) Oconee Military Museum — $2,000 (motion approved) South Carolina Apple Festival (Westminster) — $5,000 (motion approved) South Carolina Bigfoot Festival (Westminster) — $4,000 (motion approved) Farm Center — $10,000 (motion approved) Foothills Farmstead (septic for public restrooms) — $3,270 (motion approved) Upstate Heritage Quilt Trail — $775 (motion approved) Walhalla Performing Arts Center — $10,000 (motion approved) Westminster Music Center — $5,000 (motion approved) Wild Hearts Equine Therapeutic Center — $7,000 (motion approved)

Commission discussion and context Commissioners and staff discussed how past awards have been made by weighing measurable tourism impact, application quality and past awards. The staff member told commissioners that some longtime applicants (for example, the Quilt Trail) receive larger percentages of their requests partly because they consistently submit complete paperwork and measurable follow-up. Commissioners asked about how Discover Upcountry’s regional advertising benefits Oconee County; staff explained Discover Upcountry runs regional ads (including paid placements the county could not afford itself) and also receives state accommodations-tax funds and other county contributions from partner counties.

Commission staff outlined fiscal constraints and safeguards: the county maintains a separate local and state ATAX account and follows state statute for allowable expenditures; staff said the county’s local ATAX balance stood at "1.1" (units not specified in the record) and the state ATAX account balance was $259,967 at the time of the meeting. Staff said the recommended $70,000 leaves a reserve cushion for operations and contingencies and that award eligibility is tracked on an annual basis so applicants do not exceed their yearly eligible ceiling.

Procedural items Commissioners were reminded to recuse themselves by filing a recusal form when they are directly involved with an applicant (for example, serving on an applicant board or being an employee). The staff member said those recusal forms are added to the meeting minutes and that grants are then voted on individually.

What’s next The commission’s funding recommendations will be transmitted to the county council as part of the county budget and ATAX funding process; the staff member noted council will consider the supplemental budget and state ATAX funding in May. Final disbursement and any project-specific contracting occur only after council budget approvals and any required project closeouts or follow-up documentation.

Ending Commission members described the cycle as one of the stronger rounds in recent years because requests were closer to available funding, and the group completed the recommended allocations on the spot before moving to the rest of the agenda.