Lots of Tourism Funds Handed Out

The La Grange City Council approved eight requests for tourism grant funds at their meeting Monday night, March 11.

The Tourism Grant Committee considered 10 funding requests and recommended eight of them to the City Council. Tourism grant funds come from the City’s hotel occupancy tax. State law stipulates the various kinds of activities that may receive funding from hotel occupancy taxes. In general, those activities must benefit the local tourism industry by brining travelers to La Grange.

The Committee withheld their recommendation for two requests, and they awarded less than requested for a few others. Councilwoman Kathy Weishuhn, who serves on the Tourism Grant Committee, said the committee based its recommendations on projects that “puts heads in beds.” For example, she said, costs to advertise an event qualifies for funding, but funds to pay staff salaries do not.

Listed below are the 10 requests that the Tourism Grant Committee considered for this quarter.

The Faison Preservation Society requested $4,550 for docent salaries and advertising costs for January through December 2024. The Committee recommended funding in the amount of $1,550.

Fayette County Sheriff’s Posse requested $10,000 for advertising and promoting the Fayette County Sheriff’s Posse CPRA/UPRA Ram Rodeo on April 19-20. The Committee has allocated funding for this event since 2010. The Committee recommended funding the full amount requested.

Fayette County Community Theatre requested $10,000 for advertising and promoting the 2024 season of theater plays and events. The Committee allocated $10,000 in 2022 and 2023. The Committee recommended funding the full amount requested.

Friends of Kreische Brewery and Monument Hill State Historic Sites requested $6,400 for marketing Bluff Schuetzenfest 2024 on May 18. The Committee allocated $5,000 in 2022 and $6,200 in 2023. The Committee recommended funding the full amount requested.

Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center requested $5,000 for marketing their Slavnost “May Fest” to be held May 18-19. The Committee allocated $4,500 in 2022 and $5,000 in 2023. The Committee recommended funding the full amount requested.

Texas Heroes Museum requested $3,512 for docent salaries and advertising expenses from April 1 through Sept. 30. The Committee allocated $700 in 2022 and $2,000 in 2023 for both maintaining a website and advertising. The Committee recommended funding in the amount of $1,262.

Polka Lovers Club of Texas Museum requested $10,000 for a virtual docent program, sidewalks, drainage, marketing and advertising, signage and events. The committee last allocated $8,000 in Sept. 2022 for exterior renovations; $2,000 in Dec. 2022 for marketing and promotions; $6,000 in June 2023 for renovations and historical preservation; and $1,000 in Sept. 2023 for advertising and event held at the Museum last October. The Committee recommended funding in the amount of $4,000.

The Texas Quilt Museum requested $4,000 for marketing Museum events and children’s programs. Funds will be used for online ads for Facebook and Yelp from March through June of this year. The Committee recommended funding the full amount requested.

The City Council voted unanimously to approve the funding requests as recommended by the Tourism Grant Committee.

The two requests the Committee did not recommend were from La Grange Area Small Business Foundation. The Foundation requested $5,000 for marketing the 2nd Annual National Small Business Conference on May 8. Weishuhn said the Committee was waiting on a resubmission from the Foundation before considering that request.

The La GrangeArea Small Business Foundation also requested $5,000 for advertising the 1st annual Restaurant Week to be held June 16-22 at participating businesses throughout Fayette County. The Committee did not approve this request.

The total amount funded this quarter was $46,212. The Tourism Grant Fund stood at $403,623 as of March 7.

The local hotel industry appears to be in a bit of a slump, according to hotel tax receipts. The City has brought in $93,238 in hotel tax revenue through the first five months of this fiscal year (which began last October). That number is down by $26,805 from the same time last year.