LG Just Had Its Busiest Tourist Month – Ever

City of La Grange hotel occupancy tax (HOT) receipts in April jumped more than 256 percent over the same month last year.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic certainly depressed the market for hotel rooms last year. But the $41,212 in HOT funds that the City took in during April of this year amounts to more than any month ever in La Grange.

Monthly receipts haven’t topped $30,000 since December 2019 – before the effects of the pandemic hit Fayette County.

The Spring Antiques Show in Round Top and Warrenton likely contributed to the spike. Recent federal stimulus funds may have also encouraged people to travel as pandemic restrictions eased. City Manager Shawn Raborn said the April figure may have been inflated from some receipts that actually came in during March.

State law stipulates that cities may spend HOT funds only on activities that benefit the local tourism industry.

The La Grange Tourism Committee held a quarterly meeting June 28 to distribute funds. Eight local organizations requested funding:

• $4,000 to the Colorado Valley Quilt Guild for the 23rd Annual Best Little Quilt Show,

• $6,000 to the Rotary Club of La Grange for the 2021 Oktoberfest,

• $10,000 to the Fayette County Fair Association for the 2021 Fair,

• $10,000 to the Fayette County Sheriff’s Posse for a bull riding and rodeo event on Aug. 13-14,

• $1,700 to the Texas Heroes Museum for developing a website to promote the museum,

• $2,470 to the Texas Quilt Museum for marketing in the fourth quarter of 2021 and

• $1,200 to the Faison Preservation Society to hire a docent, which will allow the Faison House to be open every Saturday in 2021.

The Tourism Committee recommended granting each request in full. Council approved the recommendation unanimously Monday night. Following those allotments, the City’s HOT fund balance stands at $314,879.