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Commissioners approve hotel‑tax grants, fireworks deposit and entertainment contracts for July 4/250th events
Summary
The court approved $33,000 in hotel‑occupancy tax grants, a $10,000 deposit to Celestial Displays LLC for a July 4 fireworks display (city to pay $10,000), a $9,500 performance contract for a Journey tribute band, and an RFP for bartending services; commissioners discussed limited funds and committee allocations.
Washington County Commissioners Court approved a series of event‑related awards and contracts on June 2, including hotel‑occupancy tax grants, a fireworks deposit for the county’s 250th/July 4 celebration, and several entertainment‑related contracts and procurement steps.
Staff said the HOT grant committee reviewed a record number of applications and recommended about $33,000 in awards for the fall 2026 grant cycle after vetting submissions (one applicant had mistakenly requested $1.6 million). Harrison told the court that Bird Dog (taking over the Scarecrow Festival in Chapel Hill) qualified for an award but committee funds were limited; local groups negotiated among themselves and freed up about $3,950 to support Bird Dog’s request.
"By the time we hit the bottom of the list, there wasn't [enough money]," Harrison said, explaining why the committee redistributed some local funds and why the court may consider funding priorities during the next budget cycle. Commissioners discussed whether the court should override committee allocations in narrow cases.
The court approved a $10,000 deposit payment from hotel‑occupancy tax funds to Celestial Displays LLC for a "Stars over Washington County" fireworks display; staff said the city will cover the other $10,000 of a $20,000 total contract. The court also approved a $9,500 performance contract with an "Escape" (Journey tribute) act to perform at the Stars of Washington County/250th event; staff said the contract includes PA and equipment and had been reviewed by the county attorney without changes.
For alcohol service at the event, the court approved issuing an RFP for third‑party bartending services to handle licensing, insurance and profit‑sharing; applications are due June 17, 2026, with award consideration scheduled for June 23, 2026. Staff said prior volunteer offers (e.g., volunteer firefighter association) were declined because of liability and workload concerns.
Motions to approve the HOT grant awards, the fireworks deposit, the entertainment contract and the bartending RFP all passed by voice vote. Commissioners asked staff to consider event‑funding options during upcoming budget discussions.
