Who benefits from Abilene’s Hotel Occupancy Tax? Voters weigh in this November
Published: Tue, 06/13/23
Who benefits from Abilene’s Hotel Occupancy Tax? Voters weigh in this November
Big Country Homepage.com
by: Noah McKinney
Posted:
ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – The Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) is a small tax taken when visitors stay in an Abilene hotel. Those funds are directed back into two of the city’s largest tourism entities: Frontier Texas! and The Taylor County Expo Center. When the ‘Events Venue District’ which governs the tax was established in 2004, Shotwell stadium was also a recipient of a portion of
those funds.
Project funding at Shotwell ended in 2012, and those funds were split between Frontier and the expo center, although it was not split evenly. The Venue Board voted Monday to allocate the final .5% difference between the two to the expo center, bringing their HOT funding to an even 50/50 split.
HOT tax allocations since 2004 (the 50/50 split would be reflected in the 2024 fiscal year)
“We’ve been working on this project for quite some time. Now, where do we go from here?” Questioned Abilene City Council member Kyle McAlister.
The events venue district was given a 20-year shelf life, set to expire in June 2024. With both tourism entities now receiving equal funding, the board is looking into establishing another Events Venue District that will last another 20 years.
“This venue board feels like we have seen enough of an impact to, at least, recommend that we move forward with a new district to continue what we’ve built on, and continue the growth of helping the expo center and helping Frontier Texas! in their jobs to bring heads in beds- which is the main thing this is designed to do, and has done quite successfully over the past 20 years,” said Councilman McAlister.
After hearing from the Taylor County Expo Center and Frontier Texas!, the board adjourned Monday. The task now falls to the Taylor County Commissioners and Abilene City Council to put forth a proposal to the voters to consider in November. That vote will decide whether or not a new 20-year district will be established, and if the HOT will remain in effect.
If the proposal is approved, the new district would begin June 16, 2024; one day after the 2004 district expires.