Lexington County advisory board recommends $426,096 in accommodations-tax grants, forwards list to County Council

The Lexington County Accommodations Tax Advisory Board on Feb. 5 voted to forward recommended awards totaling $426,096 to Lexington County Council for final approval, after hearing in-person presentations from tourism, sports and cultural organizations across the county.

The board’s recommendation includes the statutorily required 30% allocation to the regional Capital City Lake Murray Country (listed as Capital City Lake Murray Country) totaling $136,136 and a slate of smaller grants to local chambers, museums, sports programs and event producers. The board approved the package by a show-of-hands vote and directed staff to forward the recommendation to County Council for final action.

Why it matters: The accommodations tax (ATAX) is restricted by state law to tourism-related uses, and the advisory board’s recommendations shape which local festivals, venues and visitor programs receive marketing and operations support for the coming fiscal year. The board emphasized sports tourism, regional advertising and family attractions during this year’s presentations.

Most of the meeting consisted of 20-minute presentations from applicants and a round of questions. Highlights cited by presenters and included in the board’s deliberations:

- Sports tourism: Lexington County Recreation and Aging Commission staff said the county plans to host about 95 weekend tournaments in 2025, including the Perfect Game baseball events that can use more than 20 fields and draw hundreds of teams. The county’s tennis and pickleball programs reported 49 major tennis/pickleball events in 2024 and dozens already scheduled for 2025; the new 16-court KC Pickleball Complex will host a PPA professional-amateur event expected to bring 600–700 players and, according to organizers, an estimated $1.5 million economic impact (figure provided by the event organizer in testimony).

- Regional marketing and cooperative campaigns: Capital City Lake Murray Country (the regional CVB) and Experience Columbia outlined digital and earned-media campaigns that they say drive hotel searches and visitation to the four-county region. Experience Columbia reported its regional website drew roughly 918,000 users and 3.1 million page views last year; its advertising work produced tens of thousands of hotel searches tied to digital placements.

- Cultural and family attractions: Riverbanks Zoo & Garden described recent capital improvements and partnerships that it expects will increase visitation across county lines; Adventure Children’s Museum and Harbison Theatre highlighted programmatic work aimed at families and out-of-town visitors. The Lexington County Blowfish told the board its games drew ticket purchases from 26 states and said marketing support helps present the organization’s broadcasts and promotional spots that reference Lexington County.

Direct quotes from the record include Bill Shanahan of the Lexington County Blowfish, who said, “the funds that you provide us help us do that,” referring to promoting Lexington County via team broadcasts and events; and Greg Knavel of Riverbanks Zoo, who summarized audience geography: “out of our 1,200,000 guests that we see annually, over 60 percent of them come from outside of a 50 mile range.”

Board action and recommended awards: After discussion, members read a final recommended allocation list and voted to approve and forward it. The largest single line in the recommendation is the 30% regional allocation to Capital City Lake Murray Country ($136,136). Other recommended awards (board recommendation totals) include: Columbia Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau $35,000; Columbia Regional Sports Council $30,000; Irmo/Chapin-area sports and recreation entities (Ermo/Chapin Rec Commission) $30,000; Lexington County Recreation tennis/pickleball $20,000; Lexington City Recreation (softball/tournament support) $20,650; Riverbanks Zoo $15,000; Lexington County Blowfish $15,000; Town of Lexington Ice House Amphitheatre $15,000; and a set of smaller awards to local chambers, theatres and museums as listed in the board’s motion. The board’s motions and the full recommended award list will go to County Council for final approval.

What the vote does not do: The advisory board’s recommendation is not the final county appropriation. Council must formally approve the grants and any contract or payment terms. Several presenters noted projects or upgrades — such as facility improvements at the Ice House Amphitheatre and planned programming expansions at sports complexes — that will require additional funds or operational commitments beyond ATAX grants.

Next steps: The board’s package will be placed on the County Council consent or public agenda; staff said they will forward the recommendation with the meeting minutes and application materials. Council’s action is the controlling legal step to disburse county ATAX funds.

Ending note: The meeting also included internal housekeeping (officer elections earlier in the agenda) and a motion to adjourn after the awards discussion. The full list of recommended awards and the board’s motion text were read on the record before the final vote and are included in the board minutes to be sent to council.