Divvying up tax $ for CSRA tourism

The committee that oversees income collected through the accommodations tax heard from North Augusta organizations hoping for a financial boost for next year.

Members of the Accommodations Tax Advisory Committee received 13 requests from nonprofit organizations and the city’s Parks, Recreation, and Tourism (PRT) departments.

The city’s 3% tax is collected from people who visit the city and stay in local accommodations. Some events attract major crowds with people staying one or more nights.

John Felak, owner of Lookaway Inn and Chairman of the committee, told ABD the city is seeing the benefits as familiar events grow and new ones begin.

“We’re seeing requests get larger because the events are more successful and new ideas that one event is going to spur another one,” he said. “North Augusta is such a great community that the more people find out about these opportunities, when we have visitors come in and paying these accommodation taxes, and then being able to have new programs now to bring more people in has been a fun process.”

The Tuesday meeting was a chance for representatives of organizations applying for funds to support next year’s event to explain their requests and answer questions.

Traditionally, the largest requests come from the city department who coordinate the largest annual events. Topping the list were requests from the Tourism Department, $35,000 for the free concert series, and $60,000 to support Jack-O-Lantern Jubilee.

Karl Waldhauer, who heads up the tourism division of North Augusta’s PRT department, said in the past 10 years the Jubilee has grown rapidly.

“It’s just gotten bananas. There’s a committee from the city that has to tackle it now. We pull about from every department’s resources whether it’s manpower or equipment, and it’s turned into a great thing,” he said. “It’s kind of a North Augusta family reunion. Catch up with many of our local businesses, just come out and enjoy the day and it really gets people milling around town. This year, we had about 8,700 people come through Jack-O-Lantern Jubilee on Friday, and right at 19,000 on Saturday.”

The city collected just shy of $194,800 over the past 12 months. This year’s list of requests totaled $315,530.

“The difficult part comes when you have only so much money to give out and you have to start prioritizing and or reducing requests, but everybody’s been super nice about it. It’s just a great resource to even have in our local community, with raising almost $200,000 to pass out for worthwhile projects in phenomenal,” said Felak.

Some of the smaller requests, like $2,000 from the Aiken Historical Society to help pay for historical markers, and $5,500 for the Arts and Heritage Center of North Augusta, were approved for the full amount.

The recommendations will be submitted to the city council for final approval. That is expected at the Dec. 2 meeting.

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