Last week the Orange City Council held a meeting and one of the agenda items was to consider a motion authorizing hotel/motel occupancy tax (HOT) funding for Fiscal Year 2025. This is also known as “Christmas in September” for some of our non-profit organizations.
The purpose of the local hotel occupancy tax is to promote tourism and the convention and hotel industry. Local non-profits fill out paperwork to try and qualify for the grant money. That includes the amount they want and what they plan to do with it. The Orange Convention and Visitors Bureau and city staff then make recommendations to council on whether or not they deserve that amount, a lesser amount, or possibly no money at all.
The committee did not award everyone and lessened the amount asked by others, based on budget numbers.
Before a vote was taken, Larry Spears flexed his mayoral muscles and took a proactive stance and awarded everyone on the list saying, “We need you to show off Orange like never before.”
“This year our city has been hit with a 2.5 million dollar loss, between losing International Paper, Invista, and monthly sales revenue. We’ve asked each department to cut their budget 10 percent. Understand the HOT tax is a separate fund, it does not operate from the general fund. With that being said, we have a healthy (HOT tax) reserve and I’m proposing some adjustments because we want to bring people in to our city so they can spend their money here.”
The mayor read his adjustments and council agreed with the motion. The proposed total amount of $683,462, was increased to $815,462.
HOT Tax funding for fiscal year 2025:
Orange Lions Club Carnival – Security $5000
Orange Lions Club Carnival $2500
Gate City Guild #42 $5000
Friends of the Orange Depot $5000
Gulf Coast Cajun Chapter $5000
Dragon Lady Airboat Services $3000
GOACC Mardi Gras Parade $7000
GOACC Bassmaster Tournament $60,000
GOACC Festival $7,000
Southeast Texas Elite Volleyball $5000
Lutcher Theater for the Performing Arts $60,000
Tribe United Volleyball $30,000
Heritage House of Orange County $30,000
Krewe De Onyx $25,000
Adventures 2000 Plus $2000
Step Forward Treatment Center-Women’s Empowerment $5,000
Step Forward Treatment Center-Golf Tournament $5,000
Orange CVB Budget $547,962
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