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Fairfield County council approves $620,000 interstate gateway‑signage project
Summary
The Fairfield County Council approved a $620,000 contract to install two illuminated gateway signs on I‑77, funded by the county's local accommodations and hospitality tax; a student speaker questioned whether the tourism tax should be used for local needs, and officials said state rules restrict the fund's use.
Fairfield County officials voted to approve a $620,000 contract to install two illuminated gateway signs on Interstate 77, county staff said. The council approved the contract during a mock meeting session that followed a student leadership summit at the Fairfield County Administration building.
Jean Stevens, Fairfield County's public information officer, told the council the signs would be placed at Exit 34 and Exit 48 and ‘‘will actually light up at night’’ to welcome visitors. ‘‘Basically, we're asking for $620,000 to build two gateway signage signs on the interstate,’’ Stevens said during her presentation, adding that running electricity to the sites will be an additional cost the county's project manager is working to estimate.
The project will be financed with the county’s local accommodations and hospitality (A&H) tax, Stevens said. She explained that the tax — a 3% levy on prepared food and lodging receipts — is earmarked for tourism promotion and related infrastructure and that state law limits how those funds may be used. ‘‘These funds can't be used on technically our county infrastructure and things like that,’’ Stevens said. She also told students the county expects a majority of A&H revenue to come from visitors along the interstate rather than from local residents.
A student speaker who was identified in the meeting as the District 7 councilwoman asked why tourism tax dollars would go to signage rather than toward local needs such as grocery access, housing repair or health programs. County staff responded that the A&H tax is restricted by state statute to tourism‑related projects and cannot be repurposed for the local services raised by the student.
The council moved and seconded approval of the contract; the chair announced the motion carried. The meeting record does not list individual vote tallies by name; the council has seven seats. County staff said implementation details, including final construction schedule and ongoing maintenance costs, will follow procurement and contract execution.
The vote followed public presentations at a student summit that highlighted county careers and opportunities, and it comes as county officials work on a strategic plan they will bring to council for a future adoption vote.
