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Paradise council directs staff to bring back renewed TOT reinvestment program emphasizing Chamber and economic development
Summary
With TOT revenue projected to fall from earlier highs, council signaled support for continuing a community reinvestment program (~$100,000), recommended a refreshed application period, and asked staff to add economic‑development criteria while preserving funding for arts and nonprofits; staff to return detailed apportionment options to inform the budget.
Council reviewed the town’s three‑year Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) community reinvestment pilot and gave staff direction for a refreshed program during the upcoming budget cycle.
Colette Curtis, Recovery and Economic Development Director, reminded the Council the pilot had allocated $100,000 per year previously—$45,000 to the Paradise Ridge Chamber of Commerce and $55,000 split among local nonprofit applicants whose mission included tourism. Curtis said TOT receipts have declined from the artificially high levels seen when contractor stays inflated hotel use, and the town is now projecting about $140,000 in TOT revenue for the coming year.
Chamber CEO Monica Nolan and multiple business and nonprofit speakers urged continuation of a stable, multi‑year commitment, noting the Chamber’s marketing work ("Your Piece of Paradise" campaign) produced measurable impressions and direct engagement. "Each new home built generally generates approximately $4,500 annually in property tax," Nolan said, arguing coordinated marketing is a long‑term economic development tool that leverages private investment.
Council discussion landed on principles rather than a final split: members favored keeping a $100,000 reinvestment target if possible, conducting a new application period, adopting an economic‑development criterion in the scoring rubric, prioritizing the Chamber for a larger share while retaining some funding for arts and other qualifying groups, and re‑evaluating allocations annually rather than locking multiyear commitments indefinitely. Staff said it will return options showing how funds could be apportioned and how the application would be structured (eligibility, scoring, reporting). Curtis also noted staff could perform a retrospective analysis of prior recipients’ reports to estimate relative ROI and event‑level impacts.
Next steps: staff will prepare a set of options for council review during the budget process, including recommended TOT allocation amounts, eligibility criteria—emphasizing evidence of tourism and economic‑development impact—and an application and reporting framework with annual review triggers.
