9/23/1991 - Laserfiche WebLink

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to bring the tourists. He thought some of the expenses of some events have been underwritten and have been considered part of the promotion of that event. The Tourist Development Council has always taken the position that the entities who sponsor these events must have some means of sustaining themselves and tourist tax money should not be used to carry the operational and overhead expenses of community groups; that the money should be used to bring people into the community to spend money at the hotels, motels, restaurants and other facilities and services that are paying the taxes, essentially. Commissioner Scurlock thought that is a wide interpretation. He felt the cost of the event should be covered by the entity in the community conducting the activity, and the tourist tax revenues should help with the costs for advertising and promoting the event. Commissioner Eggert felt the funds would be spread further if we were doing just promotion in the sense of advertising. Attorney Collins stated that would be a very bright line test and it would be easy to apply. The Tourist Development Council's view is that some of these events create an ambience within the town that brings the people here and the events themselves are promotion to attract tourists. Chairman Bird felt some associations find it difficult to. generate all the funds necessary to underwrite a really successful production which will then bring people here. He agreed with Commissioner Eggert if we are not spreading the word to adjoining counties and other areas, then we are missing the boat on the advertising side of it. Mr. Bireley noted the Board had gotten to the core of the problem. He described it as a "Catch 22" situation in that the advertising promotion is very important, but many of these events would not even happen if it were not for funding bringing in the bands, bringing in* the fireworks, bringing in the concert and herein lies the problem. He explained that OMB Director Joe Baird and Assistant Attorney Will Collins try to hold the invoices for these events to the letter of the law as much as they can, but he thought if we go by the strict letter of the law we could lose many of these events because these activities bring people from Melbourne, from Georgia, or wherever, into the county, especially after we have established these events, possibly, on an annual _ basis. Mr. Bireley mentioned annual events in other counties which attract people from all over the southeast and he cannot believe _ that those counties do not fund a lot of these events with tourist tax dollars. He gave the example of the 14th Avenue Bourbon Street event with the expensive Preservation Hall Jazz Band which was 3 SEP 2 3 1991 JU