Council appoints two to accommodations tax advisory committee; state rules define committee

The North Augusta City Council on Aug. 18 unanimously approved Resolution 2025-27 to fill two vacancies on the city's accommodations tax (A-Tax) advisory committee, nominating Julie McNeely and Sherry Wright to serve on the seven-member advisory body.

"The rules associated with the accommodations tax are set by the state of South Carolina," said a city staff member during the resolution discussion, noting that municipalities or counties receiving more than $50,000 in accommodations tax revenue must appoint an advisory committee and that the majority of committee members must represent the hospitality industry.

Staff said the committee currently includes lodging-sector representation (Tricia Garcia, Holiday Inn Express), a hospitality representative Brandon Green, John Dawkins of Chick-fil-A as an at-large member, Mary Ann Bigger as the cultural organization representative at the Arts and Heritage Center, and other hospitality members. The two nominees would fill openings created in part by a previous chair stepping down when running for council and by a hotel management change.

Julie McNeely, owner of McNeely's Place on Georgia Avenue, and Sherry Wright, director at the Tru by Hilton (nominated to replace the prior lodging representative), were introduced during the meeting; the council voted unanimously to appoint them.

Council did not attach conditions to the appointments. Staff reiterated that the A-Tax committee's rules such as lodging representation and cultural organization representation are defined by state statute (read aloud during the meeting). The committee will continue to make expenditure recommendations on accommodations tax revenue for council consideration.