ORANGE —
The Orange County Hotel/Motel Tax committee has released applications for non-profit entities within Orange County to apply for a portion of the County’s Hotel/Motel Tax funds. Any 501(C) organization in Orange County that attracts visitors to Orange County Texas can make application to the committee. There are a number of restrictions by state law as to how the funds can be utilized. First, the funds must be used in a manner that encourages overnight visitors to Orange County. Secondly, expenditures must fall within one of the following categories.
Convention Centers and Visitor Information Centers: the acquisition of sites for and the construction, improvement, enlarging, equipping, repairing, operation and maintenance of convention center facilities or visitor information centers, or both;
Registration of Convention Delegates: the furnishing of facilities, personnel, and materials for the registration of convention delegates or registrants;
Advertising, Solicitations and Promotions that Directly Promote Tourism and the Hotel and Convention Industry: advertising and conducting solicitations and promotional programs to attract tourists and convention delegates or registrants to the county;
Promotions of the Arts that Directly Promote Tourism and the Hotel and Convention Industry: that the encouragement, promotion, improvement, and application of the arts, including instrumental and vocal music, dance, drama, folk art, creative writing, architecture, design and allied fields, painting, sculpture photography, graphic and craft arts, motion picture, radio, television, tape and sound recording, and other arts related to the presentation, performance, execution, and exhibition of these major art forms,
Historical Restoration and Preservation Activities that Directly Promote Tourism and the Hotel and Convention Industry: historical restoration and preservation projects or activities or advertising and conducting solicitation and promotional programs to encourage tourists and convention delegates to visit preserved historic sites or museums.
Sporting Event Expenses that Substantially Increase Economic Activity at Hotels: Expenses including promotional expenses, directly related to a sporting event in which the majority of participants are tourists who substantially increase economic activity at hotels and motels within the county.
Certain Portions of Sporting Facilities: Expenses for a certain percentage of a facility’s patrons that are directly contributing to increased local hotel activity.
Shuttle Services for Convention Activities: Shuttle services for an event is an eligible expense provided the shuttle services begins or terminates at a local hotel facility.
Applications can be downloaded from the Orange County Economic Development Corporation web site at www.orangecountyedc.com. Applications will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. January 18, 2013 at the OCEDC offices; 1201 Childers Road, Orange, TX 77630 or interested persons can call the OCEDC offices at (409) 883-7770 and have an application mailed to you. The Hotel/Motel Tax Committee will review the applications and hold a public hearing in February. The committee will then make recommendations to the Orange County Commissioner’s Court for expenditure of the funds.
One major project that will be considered for funding will be the CHAMPS project to be located on Highway 1442. This proposed facility was the focal point for the passing of the tax. This will be a multi-million dollar project that will serve many uses for Orange County. It has not been determined how much of the tax funds will be dedicated to that project. All remaining funds will be dedicated to the various projects around Orange County.
Dear 501(C) Organization,
Orange County is presently accepting applications for Hotel/Motel Tax funding requests for the 2012-2013 Fiscal Year. The application should be self-explanatory but any questions you may have can be directed to the Orange County Economic Development Corporation.
Applications will be accepted through 5:00 p.m., January 18, 2013 and should be mailed to the attention of Bobby Fillyaw, Executive Director, Orange County Economic Development Corp., 1201 Childers Road, Orange, Texas 77630. The attached application form should be used for your request. Any additional application forms may be downloaded from the Orange County Economic Development Corporation website at HYPERLINK "http://www.orangecountyedc.com" www.orangecountyedc.com.
If you received funding from last year’s County Hotel Motel Tax Funds, please include information regarding the event or project that was funded. The information should include how the funds were utilized, the number of people that attended and the number of local hotel rooms utilized because of the funding. This is a very important step if you were previously funded!
A public hearing on the allocation of Hotel/Motel Funds will be scheduled in February. If you have any questions please call 883-7770 (Bobby Fillyaw).
Sincerely,
Bobby Fillyaw
Executive Director
cc: Carl Thibodeaux, County Judge
HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX USE GUIDELINES
UNDER TEXAS STATE LAW AND FUNDING APPLICATION FORM
State Law: By law of the State of Texas, the County of Orange collects a Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) from hotels, motels, and bed & breakfasts and inns. Under state law, the revenue from the HOT may be used only to directly promote tourism and the convention and hotel industry. Chapter 352 of the Tax Code states that the use of HOT funds is limited to:
Convention Centers and Visitor Information Centers: the acquisition of sites for and the construction, improvement, enlarging, equipping, repairing operation and maintenance of convention center facilities or visitor information centers, or both;
Registration of Convention Delegates: the furnishing of facilities, personnel, and materials for the registration of convention delegates or registrants;
Advertising, Solicitations and Promotions that Directly Promote Tourism and the Hotel and Convention Industry: advertising and conducting solicitations and promotional programs to attract tourists and convention delegates or registrants to the municipality or its vicinity;
Promotions of the Arts that Directly Promote Tourism and the Hotel and Convention Industry: that the encouragement, promotion, improvement, and application of the arts, including instrumental and vocal music, dance, drama, folk art, creative writing, architecture, design and allied fields, painting, sculpture photography, graphic and craft arts, motion picture, radio, television, tape and sound recording, and other arts related to the presentation, performance, execution, and exhibition of these major art forms, and
Historical Restoration and Preservation Activities that Directly Promote Tourism and the Hotel and Convention Industry: historical restoration and preservation projects or activities or advertising and conducting solicitation and promotional programs to encourage tourists and convention delegates to visit preserved historic sites or museums.
Sporting Event Expenses that Substantially Increase Economic Activity at Hotels: Expenses including promotional expenses, directly related to a sporting event in which the majority of participants are tourists who substantially increase economic activity at hotels and motels within the county.
Certain Portions of Sporting Facilities: Expenses for a certain percentage of a facilities patrons that are directly contributing to increased local hotel activity.
Shuttle Services for Convention Activities: Shuttle services for an event is an eligible expense provided the shuttle services begins or terminates at a local hotel facility.
Supplemental Information To Include With Application: Along with the application, if available, please submit the following:
_____ Proposed Marketing Plan for Funded Event
_____ Schedule of Activities or Events Relating to the Funded Project
Submit to: Bobby Fillyaw
1201 Childers Road, Orange, TX 77630
(409) 883-7770
Application
Organization Information
Date:_____________________________________
Name of Organzation:____________________________________________________________________
Address:_______________________________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip:_________________________________________________________________________
Contact Name:__________________________________________________________________________
Contact Phone Number:___________________________________________________________________
Web Site Address for Event or Sponsoring Entity _____________________________________________
Is your organization: Non-Profit__________ Private/For Profit___________
Tax ID #:________________________________ Entity’s Creation Date: __________
Purpose of your organization:______________________________________________________________
Name of Event or Project_________________________________________________________________
Date of Event or Project::_________________________________________________________________
Primary Location of Event or Project:_______________________________________________________
Amount Requested:___________________________________
How will the funds be used:_______________________________________________________________
Primary Purpose of Funded Activity/Facility:_________________________________________________
Percentage of Hotel Tax Support of Related Costs
_____ Note Percentage of Total Event Costs Covered by Hotel Occupancy Tax
_____ Note Percentage of Total Facility Costs Covered by Hotel Occupancy Tax for the Funded Event
_____ Note Percentage of Staff Costs Covered by Hotel Occupancy Tax for the Funded Event
If staff costs are covered, estimate percentage of time staff spends annually on the funded event(s) compared to other activities ____________________________________
Check Which Categories Apply to Funding Request and Amount Requested Under Each Category:
1. Convention Center or Visitor Information Center: construction, improvement, equipping, repairing operation and maintenance of convention center facilities or visitor information centers, or both ______________________________________________________________________________________
2. Registration of Convention Delegates: furnishing of facilities, personnel, and materials for the registration of convention delegates or registrants;___________________________________________________________________________
3. Advertising, Solicitations, Promotional programs to attract tourists and convention delegates or registrants to the county. __________ ________________________________________________
4. Promotion of the Arts that Directly Enhance Tourism and the Hotel & Convention Industry: encouragement, promotion, improvement, and application of the arts, including instrumental and vocal music, dance, drama, folk art, creative writing, architecture, design and allied fields, painting, sculpture photography, graphic and craft arts, motion picture, radio, television, tape and sound recording, and other arts related to the presentation, performance, execution, and exhibition of these major art forms; ___________________________________________________________________
5. Historical restoration and preservation projects or activities or advertising and conducting solicitation and promotional programs to encourage tourists and convention delegates to visit preserved historic sites or museums; _____________ __________________________________________________________________
Expenses including promotional expenses, directly related to a sporting event in which the majority of participants are tourists who substantially increase economic activity at hotels and motels within the county._______________________________________________________________
Sporting Related Event Funding:
If the event is a sporting related function/facility: How many individuals are expected to participate? _________________________________________________________________________________
If the event is a sporting related function/facility: How many of the participants are expected to be from another city or county? _________________________________________________________________________________
If the event is a sporting related function/facility: Quantify how the funded activity will substantially increase economic activity at hotel and motels within the city or its vicinity? _________________________________________________________________________________
Questions for All Funding Requests:
How many years have you held this Event or Project:___________________________________________
Expected Attendance:___________________________
How many people attending the Event or Project will use ___________(fill in name of your city) hotels, motels or bed & breakfasts?
How many nights will they stay:____________________________________________________________
Do you reserve a room block for this event at an area hotel and if so, for how many rooms and at which hotels:________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
Please list other years (over the last three years) that you have hosted your Event or Project with amount of assistance given from HOT and the number of hotel rooms used:
City Month/Year Held Assistance Amount Number of Hotel Rooms Used
How will you measure the impact of your event on area hotel activity? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Please list other organization, government entities and grants that have offered financial support to your
project:_______________________________________________________________________________
Please check all promotion efforts your organization is coordinating and the amount financially committed to each media outlet:
Paid Advertising __________ Newspaper __________ Radio __________ TV _____
Press Releases to Media _____ Direct Mailing to out of town recipients _________________
Other_____________________________________________________________________
What areas does your advertising and promotion reach: ______________________________________________________________________________________
What number of individuals will your proposed marketing reach that are located in another city or county? ______________________________________________________________________________________
(If a permanent facility (e.g. museum, visitor center)
Expected Attendance Monthly/Annually:_________________________ (Please note percentage of those in Attendance that are Staying at Area Hotels/Lodging Facilities:_________________________
