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Commission accepts Lodgers Tax Board recommendations after debate over Lions Club swag funding
Summary
Commissioners debated whether to add funding to a Lions Club request for swag at a statewide Lions conference but ultimately accepted the Lodgers Tax Board's recommendations, which had partially funded many applicants to stay within available funds.
The Clovis City Commission debated a Lodgers Tax Board recommendation for January disbursements after Commissioner Casaus raised concerns about a Lions Club request for additional "swag" funding for a statewide conference that will bring more than 100 attendees to Clovis.
Why it matters: Lodgers tax funds are intended to support events and marketing that bring visitors and hotel stays to the city. How those funds are allocated affects tourism-dependent businesses and nonprofit event hosts.
Discussion details: Commissioner Casaus said she had received calls questioning why the Lions Club received $5,000 in November but was denied additional funding in the February round; she said, "I just feel like we should give them at least a thousand or 2,000, in my opinion." Thomas Martin, chair of the Lodgers Tax Board, explained the panel had more requests than available funds and aimed to spread allocations to as many applicants as possible, noting some applicants received roughly half of what they requested. Martin said the board had to "spread the funds as evenly as we could to make it to get some money in everybody's hands to market."
Board criteria and clarification: Commission members clarified that Lodgers Tax scoring gives points for advertising that reaches outside the immediate area and that applicants seeking only "swag" (items for conference attendees) do not earn the advertising score; a staff member explained that when advertising funds are requested 25% must be spent outside the Clovis area, but swag-only requests are still eligible under the Lodgers Tax program criteria as marketing to attendees.
Action taken: After discussion the Commission accepted the Lodgers Tax Board's recommendations as presented (unanimous). The mayor and commissioners noted the final allocation decisions rest with the Commission but deferred to the board's process in this round.
Ending: Staff and board members said the Lodgers Tax panel will continue to schedule meetings and allocate available funds across remaining fiscal-year requests.
