Title
Consider a memorandum/resolution approving the Killeen Arts Commission grant recommendations for fiscal year 2022.
Summary
DATE: October 5, 2021
TO: Kent Cagle, City Manager
FROM: Jonathan Locke, Executive Director of Finance
SUBJECT: Killeen Arts Commission FY 2022 Grant Recommendations
BACKGROUND AND FINDINGS:
One of the primary responsibilities of the Arts Commission is to make recommendations to City Council regarding the allocation of the Hotel Occupancy Tax funds that are designated for grants to the arts. Texas Tax Code Chapter 351 governs the use of municipal hotel occupancy taxes. Section 351.101 requires two criteria be met to expend municipal hotel occupancy tax revenue: 1) expenditures must promote tourism and the convention and hotel industry; and 2) expenditures must meet one of nine statutorily provided categories. The encouragement, promotion, improvement, and application of the arts is one of the nine categories. Section 351.103(c) limits the amount of hotel occupancy tax revenue used for the arts to 15% of total hotel occupancy tax revenue collected.
At a June 11, 2021 meeting, the Arts Commission received seven presentations from prospective grant applicants. The events proposed by the grant applicants were evaluated by the Arts Commission. City Council adopted the fiscal year 2022 operating budget on September 14, 2021, which includes $290,090 for grants to the arts; $37,167 is funded by hotel occupancy tax revenue and $252,923 is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
During the budget process, City Council authorized ARPA funding to be used for grants to the arts. Over the past couple of years, grants to the arts have been impacted due to the pandemic. ARPA funds were approved for (1) grantees whose event(s) were cancelled during fiscal year 2020 due to the pandemic - $100,283, (2) to increase the fiscal year 2021 grants to th...
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