The city of Marshall commissioners accepted the Visit Marshall Advisory Board’s recommendations for hotel occupancy tax funds distribution for 2020 at Thursday’s city meeting.
The board rewarded a total of $37,650 in grants to nine different organizations this year.
According to Mallori James, the director of culture and tourism in Marshall, this is the first time the funds have been distributed since the implementation of a new city policy regarding HOT funds has been put into place.
“I think it went really well,” James said. “I think at the end everyone felt really confident. It is still a learning experience though and we are going to get feedback at the end of the first year and see if we need to make any changes.”
The policy change altered the way that Visit Marshall gave out the grant money, requiring the organizations to present more information on the specific items they hoped to use the money for, as well as requiring them to track the events impact on local businesses.
HOT funds are granted to organizations as a reimbursement fund for groups that hold events that bring guests in to local hotels.
In the past organizations would request a certain amount of funds based on the number of events or projects that fell under the HOT funds regulations.
The biggest change in the policy, according to James, was that now each organization has to request separate grants for each separate project that they plan for the next year.
This allows Visit Marshall to more closely track how the grant money is being utilized and the direct benefits it has on the community.
2020 HOT fund distribution
Two new events that have never received HOT funds before, Gobble Up The Cash Barrel Race and 2Hearts Barrel Races both received grant money this year.
Gobble Up The Cash Barrel Race requested $3,900 in funds and received $2,500 from the board. 2Hearts Barrel Races requested $23,500 and $2,500 as well.
James said that both events have been occurring in Marshall for years, and have a strong reputation within the community.
“They both had very compelling cases where they showed how many people they were bringing into town during these events, and how that traffic benefits the community,” James said.
Also receiving funds again this year is Get Healthy Marshall, the organization that hosted the Health Fest in Marshall from 2012 to 2016.
James stated that the group stopped operating in the city from 2017-19 in preparation of the completion of Memorial City Hall, where they host their event.
Get Healthy Marshall requested $20,000 in grant funding for its weekend long event and received $10,000.
The Marshall Depot requested $10,150 from HOT Fund grants this year, receiving $5,150 for the historic restoration grant.
The Marshal Regional Arts Council also requested $5,000 of the funds for the Cultural Arts Grant for the group’s annual Art Festival that they were awarded $3,000.
The Michelson Museum of Art also requested funds for the Cultural Arts Grant for the amount of $5,072. The board appointed the museum $4,500.
Josey Ranch also requested HOT Funds for $22,000 marketing budgets and received $10,000 from the board.
Elks Care and Caddo Kennel Club also requested HOT funs in the form of facility usage, which both groups received. Caddo Kennel Club also requested $400 which they received.
Square & Round Dancing Association and the Harrison County Historical Museum both chose not to request HOT funds again this year, though both organizations received funds in 2019.
Square & Round Dancing Association said that they were not making the request for 2020, but would return in 2021.
James said that the Harrison County Historical Museum chose to not request funds because of the new policy change.
“I think it was just that our goals did not align with theirs in the way that the data we were hoping to collect is not what they are trying to accomplish at the museum,” James said. “They may be more focused on bringing in locals and local history than hotel occupancy, so they decided not to apply.”
