James Island council approves $43,000 accommodations‑tax marketing proposal to build town tourism brand

The Town Council unanimously approved a required accommodations‑tax marketing proposal to spend about $43,000 to develop James Island’s tourism brand, Councilman Louis Dodson told the meeting.

The proposal funds a partnership with the Sea Islands Chamber of Commerce and charleston.com to create a James Island tourism website, manage social media and produce promotional content aimed at attracting visitors from about 50 miles away or more—the geographic restriction tied to the 30% accommodations‑tax allocation the town must spend on designated marketing activities.

Council members said the town had been out of compliance for three years on spending this portion of accommodations tax and that the funds must be spent by March. Dodson said the agreement includes initial setup work and that ongoing annual costs for the program are expected to be lower—an estimated $10,000–$20,000 a year to maintain the site and marketing after launch.

Council discussed content ideas, including advertising the town’s improved floodplain management rating and resulting flood insurance savings; the council and staff said other publicity (press releases) outside the restricted accommodations‑tax funds would be used to highlight local policy achievements. Mayor Brooke Lyon and finance staff confirmed the proposal and budget were in the meeting packet, and the council took a roll‑call vote. The motion carried unanimously.

Council members said the initiative was a chance for James Island to “toot our own horn” and promote local restaurants, parks and events while keeping more tourism dollars tied to the town.