Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transient Guest Tax topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Franklin County approves $47,675 in Transient Guest Tax sponsorships for local events
Summary
The Franklin County Board of Commissioners on March 25 approved recommended Transient Guest Tax sponsorship awards totaling $47,675 across 28 requests, from small community festivals to larger draws such as the Ol’ Marais River Run Car Show; commissioners also discussed courthouse repairs as a TGT expenditure.
The Franklin County Board of Commissioners approved recommended Transient Guest Tax (TGT) sponsorships totaling $47,675 at its March 25 meeting. Administrative Assistant Christina Claar told the board the county had received 28 sponsorship requests totaling $61,580 for visitor-driving events in 2026.
Why it matters: TGT funds are intended to support events and projects that attract visitors and produce local lodging taxable receipts; allocating those dollars shapes which community events are able to move forward with county support.
Claar presented the list of requests and recommended awards, noting several full recommendations and several partial awards. Notable recommended awards included $8,000 for the Ol’ Marais River Run Car Show (requested $10,000), $4,000 for the Chatauqua Festival–Ottawa fireworks (fully recommended), $3,000 for Power of the Past Tractor Show (fully recommended), and $3,000 recommended for the Fr Co Literature Festival (requested $3,000). The Memory Lane Light Display was requested at $300 but recommended for $0. Commissioners also noted planned TGT expenditures beyond sponsorships, including Historical Society storage building costs, Historic Courthouse stonework and elevator repairs at the courthouse.
Vice Chair Rod Harris moved to approve the recommended sponsorships and Commissioner Colton Waymire seconded; the motion passed with all commissioners voting yes.
What’s next: Funds will be disbursed according to the approved recommendations; the transcript notes the commissioners discussed additional courthouse and historical preservation uses of TGT money but does not specify funding amounts or schedules for those projects.
