Lockhart City Council approves hotel-occupancy tax allocations after presentations from 10 applicants; mayor objects to visitor-center timing

The Lockhart City Council on April 14 approved the HOT Advisory Board's recommended allocations for the 2025 funding year after hearing abbreviated presentations from 10 applicants, from museums and theaters to festivals and a new tourism initiative.

The council majority voted to honor the advisory board's funding recommendations, which the city's finance director said were developed with category limits under state law in mind. Keeley Mechna, Lockhart finance director, told the council the city collects a 7% hotel occupancy tax and that "the projected fiscal year end available balance of HOT funds is $200,000," while the advisory board submitted a proposed allocation package totaling $225,000 for council review.

Why it matters: HOT funds can be used only for specific tourism-related purposes under Texas law; the council's decision distributes limited city tourism resources across multiple community organizations and events. Council members and applicants framed the proposals as efforts to attract overnight visitors and support downtown businesses.

Key presentations and applicant claims - Robert Ortiz, chairman of the Greater Caldwell County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, asked the council to continue funding two signature cultural events, saying the chamber's Cinco de Mayo and Diez y Seis events draw about 5,000 attendees each and that "over half of the attendees come from out of town." Ortiz said those events often boost hotel occupancy to 75%-90% and argued HOT support helps keep the events free to the public.

- Representatives from the Lockhart Initiative for Tourism (Tamara Carlisle and Christine Ohlendorf) requested $10,000 to build a digital tourism hub and to support event development; they described early successes with social media, partnerships with local event organizers and a website launch targeting visitor traffic.

- Courthouse Nights (Rachel Lingvai and Will Rhodes) sought $20,000 to help pay for talent, sound and insurance for five monthly, free shows April'August; Lingvai said the events draw several hundred people per show and bring out-of-town attendees.

- Other applicants represented: Caldwell County Jail Museum (requesting $15,000 for restoration/preservation), Gaslight Baker Theatre (requested $15,000), Spellerberg Projects (cultural tourism proposal), the Chisholm Trail Roundup, and the 78,644 podcast (Kate Collins requested $18,000 to expand video and marketing).

Council response and follow-up Council members said they appreciated the advisory board's work and the presentations. Several council members urged abbreviated presentations so the meeting could cover all applicants; others preferred to hear from every applicant in person. The council accepted the advisory board's recommendation in a motion and vote; the meeting record shows a single dissenting vote from Mayor Lou White, who said two requests (the chamber's visitor center proposal and another item) needed more discussion.

Chamber visitor center and workshop plan Meghan (Chamber executive staff) presented a proposal for a new visitor bureau/visitors center and said the chamber asked city funding to help create a "state-of-the-art visitor center," noting the board had not yet finalized how much the chamber itself could invest. Council members expressed mixed views: some praised the chamber's energy and agreed the visitor center should be open on weekends; others said the request (the presentation mentioned roughly $130,000 in requested resources) needed more detail and community buy-in. The council directed staff to schedule a workshop to examine the visitor-center proposal and associated funding before releasing final HOT funds tied to that item.

Votes at a glance - Motion: Honor HOT Advisory Board recommended allocations as submitted. Outcome: approved (6 yes, 1 no). Mayor Lou White voted no; six council members voted yes.

What remains Council members said they will work with applicant organizations on metrics and follow-up. Staff told applicants to coordinate with Finance Director Keeley Mechna about timing and disbursement of HOT funds. The council also asked for a workshop to further explore the visitor center proposal and some larger cultural-district and visitor-center questions.

Ending note: Applicants were advised to follow up with staff about award timing and reporting requirements; council members said they wanted clearer performance metrics from recipients in future cycles.