Fulton County commissioners vote to move forward with hotel-motel tax distribution per legal guidance

FULTON COUNTY — The Fulton County Board of Commissioners voted Feb. 10 to move forward with distribution of Hotel Motel Tax Revenue "according to legal advice/recommendation," after a presentation by county fiscal staff and the county’s external CFO.

Interim County Treasurer Amy Bishop and Fiscal Administrator Sue Reed briefed the board on options for allocating the revenue; Mike Lamb of Wessel & Co. participated via Zoom to offer fiscal advice. Commissioners asked clarifying questions about how funds would be allocated among eligible programs and which legal opinions would guide distribution. Commissioner Randy H. Bunch moved to proceed with distribution in line with the legal recommendation; the motion passed unanimously.

Why it matters: Hotel-motel tax is commonly used by counties for tourism promotion, event support and related economic development. How Fulton County implements distribution will determine which programs and organizations can receive funds and which administrative procedures will apply.

What was decided: The board authorized county staff to implement the distribution plan recommended in the legal guidance presented to the board. The minutes record the motion as "to move forward with distribution of Hotel Motel Tax Revenue according to legal advice/recommendation," and note the vote as "All in favor."

What’s next: The minutes do not record specific allocations or an effective date; the action authorizes staff to proceed under the referenced legal recommendation. Further specifics about amounts, recipients or timeline were not set in the Feb. 10 minutes.

Speakers and roles appearing in the discussion included Interim County Treasurer Amy Bishop; Fiscal Administrator Sue Reed; Mike Lamb, CFO, Wessel & Co. (via Zoom); and Commissioners Randy H. Bunch, Steven L. Wible and Hervey P. Hann.