Mayor Jason Bailey outlined a formula to fund the Chamber of Commerce at the March meeting of the Union County Budget and Finance Committee. Bailey related that he and chamber president Thomas Skibinski had formulated a workable plan using the hotel/motel tax.
The formula would average the last three years of the hotel/motel tax and then give the Chamber 90% of the average. In the mayor's example, if the last three years' total is $143,000 and that number is divided by 3, the average is $47,000. The chamber would receive 90% of $47,000 which would equal $42,300. The mayor would be left with around $5,000 to use for signs and other advertising in regards to tourism.
Finance Director Ann Dyer stated a concern for the Union County Opry and the Heritage Festival that also receive money from the hotel/motel tax. The mayor remarked that Skibinski would have more to say later in the meeting so commission chair Larry Lay said that he would call for a motion after hearing from the chamber.
When Skibinski began explaining the request for the funding from the hotel/motel tax, he indicated that the request was for operating money from the hotel/motel tax through June 2020 to give “tourism engines a shot in the arm.” Lay asked if the chamber board had voted on the request, and Skibinski replied that the board had not voted since changes had been made to the proposal. Commissioner Janet Holloway, who is also a member of the chamber board, said that the board did not meet in March. Commissioner Jody Smith moved to fund the chamber at the requested 90% of the three-year average.
However, when no one provided the necessary second, Commissioner Earl Cox asked about the Civil War Markers and the $400 used for maintenance. Skibinski noted that the Chamber receives a bill for $400 annually for the maintenance of a sign on Walker Ford and another on Ailor Gap. Cox questioned what maintenance was done, but Thomas had no explanation. With only the required quorum of four commissioners present, two of whom could not make a motion or second a motion, the motion by Smith failed for lack of a second.
Smith again related that the chamber should have a source of revenue from the hotel/motel tax as other counties fund the chamber in this method. The amount would fund chamber operations to bring tourism into the county and be allocated by the chamber board without county commission oversight. Holloway asked if the Heritage Festival would request funding from the chamber. Bailey explained that the Heritage Festival could receive money from the current hotel/motel tax fund balance that is currently at $81,814.90. But since no balance would continue to accrue, the Heritage Festival would ultimately have to be in the non-profit of County General Budget Fund 101. In response to Lay's question regarding the status of the chamber office, Skibinski said that the chamber office is currently closed. A second motion by Smith that reduced the percentage to 80% as a trial for one year also died for lack of a second.
On the concern of the coronavirus and the state's order, Bailey reported that he had met with all elected officials and departments and the courthouse is operating within the recommendations as an essential part of the community. Security is limiting access on court days and judges are only doing emergency hearings per orders from the Tennessee Supreme Court. The jail is following protocols and using a questionnaire to screen prisoners. Future meetings are being developed through technology.
Mayor Bailey updated the status of the Union County Health Department renovation.
“With the help and knowledge of Finance Director Ann Dyer, we were able to find the money in maintenance of building needed to complete the required match for the state grant to do the renovation. So, $23,500 will be used for the renovation and any repairs for this year will be handled through the mayor's office,” he said.
Under Budget Amendments and Transfers, the committee approved changes to the sheriff's budget regarding prisoner medical care to send to commission, to funds for Maynardville Library addressing a grant, to the county clerk's office adding money from a restricted account into budget, and to the cooperative Drug Fund adding fee collections for the school budget. Changes included the sewer project at SCES, textbook money for ELA textbooks, TNVA growth, and the school drug grant, as well as the moving of money within federal programs and capital outlay according to the need for schools.
The next scheduled meeting is April 21.