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Clay County TDC elects chair and approves grants, sponsorships
Summary
At its Feb. 20 meeting the Clay County Tourism Development Council elected a new chair and vice chair and approved sponsorships and grants for several county events, including the Clay County Fair and the North Florida Scottish Games.
John Scrumelow, a Clay County commissioner, was chosen as chair of the Clay County Tourism Development Council at the council’s Feb. 20 meeting. The council also elected Brian Knight as vice chair and approved a series of grant and sponsorship requests for local events.
The council voted to approve the minutes from its November 2024 meeting. Later in the meeting members approved a $45,000 sponsorship for the Clay County Fair and approved a $35,000 sponsorship for the North Florida Scottish Games (motion carried by voice vote). The council also approved two recurring event grants: $3,500 for the Town of Orange Park’s Hometown Holiday and $3,500 for Moose Haven’s Chili Cook-Off. All motions passed without recorded opposition during the meeting.
The votes reflect the council’s current grant budget and the committee’s decision to treat long‑running, high‑impact events as negotiated sponsorships rather than routine grants. Council members and event representatives discussed how sponsorships would be used for marketing, naming rights and other promotional activities. Staff said the sponsorship model is intended to provide measurable marketing deliverables while preserving limited grant funds for other events.
Council chair and vice chair elections The council accepted a motion to recommend that the Board of County Commissioner representative be named chair; John Scrumelow was nominated and approved. Members then nominated and approved Brian Knight as vice chair.
Grants and sponsorships - Clay County Fair: Council approved a $45,000 sponsorship. Staff noted the fair is an 11‑day event that draws roughly 170,000 attendees and contributes hotel room nights through vendors and out‑of‑town visitors. - North Florida Scottish Games: The council approved a $35,000 sponsorship after discussion about past awards and the event’s multi‑year history in Clay County. Organizers said the Scottish Games draw roughly 20,000 ticketed attendees and generate hotel bookings for participants, bands and judges. - Town of Orange Park Hometown Holiday: Approved a $3,500 grant for a recurring community holiday event (application processed under the prior grant cycle because the event occurred during the grants transition). - Moose Haven Chili Cook‑Off: Approved a $3,500 grant; organizers reported roughly 6,000 attendees and said the event generates hotel room nights and out‑of‑county visitors.
Other motions The council approved the meeting minutes from November 2024 by voice vote.
What members said Dennis (Moose Haven representative) described Moose Haven’s events as multi‑day in terms of hotel usage and said their July 4 celebration and chili cook‑off regularly draw sizable out‑of‑county attendance. Tasha (Clay County Fair executive director) noted the fair’s recent growth and that the event already provides promotional value for the TDC through in‑fair advertising assets.
Looking ahead Staff and council members discussed a need to continue refining grant categories and scoring to balance recurring, high‑impact signature events with newer sporting and one‑time events. The council also noted a changing portfolio of events as some previously anticipated sporting events did not return to the county for 2025. The council indicated it will continue to monitor room‑night impacts and adjust criteria next grant cycle.
Votes at a glance - Chair: John Scrumelow — motion adopted (no roll‑call recorded). - Vice chair: Brian Knight — motion adopted (no roll‑call recorded). - Minutes (Nov. 2024): approved, voice vote (recorded as 9–0 in meeting). - Clay County Fair sponsorship: $45,000 — approved, voice vote (recorded as 9–0 in meeting). - North Florida Scottish Games sponsorship: $35,000 — approved, voice vote (motion carried). - Town of Orange Park Hometown Holiday grant: $3,500 — approved, voice vote. - Moose Haven Chili Cook‑Off grant: $3,500 — approved, voice vote.
Ending The council concluded the meeting after discussing budgets, forthcoming events and the newly published grant application forms. The next TDC meeting was scheduled for May 7, 2025.
