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Greer council approves $121,629 in advertising grants and $182,291 in programming grants for 2026, amends awards to boost local arts and a new food festival
Summary
The council approved the accommodations‑tax committee’s recommended distribution of FY‑25 funds — $121,629.90 for advertising and $182,290.75 for programming — and amended the programming awards to raise the Foothills Philharmonic to $10,000 and the Jubilee Food, Wine & Culture Festival to $25,000.
Greer — After a lengthy staff presentation and questions from council, the Greer City Council approved the accommodations‑tax grant recommendations for the FY‑25 balance and amended the programming allocations to add funding for local arts and a proposed food festival.
Finance Director Christopher Klein explained the formula the city uses to split accommodations tax receipts: for FY‑25 the city received $326,863; statutory transfers left a balance that the committee split into funds for advertising (30% = $90,559) and programming (65% = $196,211), with carryover and interest producing available totals of $121,629.90 for advertising and $200,316.65 for programming. The committee recommended awarding $121,629.90 in advertising grants and $182,290.75 in programming grants while rolling roughly $18,025.90 forward for next year.
Applicants and staff described specific projects to the council. Katie Collins of the Greater Greer Chamber of Commerce said the 2025 Arts & Eats festival produced an estimated $246,000 in local economic impact and generated room demand; the Chamber requested substantial advertising funds to expand out‑of‑market promotion. Samantha Cyber (Jubilee Festival organizers) described a proposed food, wine and culture event that aims to attract higher‑spending visitors, combine a celebrity golf tournament and raise funds for local charities.
Councilmembers questioned how amounts were chosen, whether some activities (for example, events that serve alcohol) align with council priorities, and whether large single‑event advertising requests should be funded in full. Klein and committee members reiterated the evaluation criteria: demonstrated tourist draw (heads in beds), projected out‑of‑town attendance, cultural enrichment and marketing plans.
On the programming side the committee’s recommendations included awards to the Greer Farmers Market ($20,000), Greer Heritage Museum ($30,000), Party on Trade/BMW ProAm ($25,000), Dia de los Muertos festival ($10,875), Greer Arts & Eats programming ($40,000), Jubilee ($15,000 recommended originally) and a modest award to the Foothills Philharmonic ($2,000 recommended). During the council discussion an amendment was moved and adopted to add $8,000 to the Foothills Philharmonic (raising its award to $10,000) and to add $10,000 to the Jubilee Food, Wine & Culture Festival (raising it to $25,000). The amended package passed on a unanimous roll call.
Council and presenters noted that the accommodations‑tax committee is appointed per state law and that the money must be spent under statutory tourism rules; the committee also has the capacity to recommend funds roll forward for two years. Councilmembers who pressed for changes said they wanted more emphasis on arts, family and youth programming; others emphasized the need to demonstrate out‑of‑market reach when awarding advertising dollars.
The approved awards and the amendment send funding to a mix of cultural and tourism events across the city. Council directed staff to finalize grant agreements and ensure recipients meet reporting and marketing requirements outlined by the committee.
