Agenda - 12/11/2008 - 4o - Laserfiche WebLink

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a To: November 15, 2008 Re: Visitors Bureau Performance Agreement with the Town of Chapel Hill The Visitors Bureau was started in 1992 with support only from Orange County, using the occupancy tax--at first 1% and then raised to 2% in 1995 and 3% in 2008. The Orange County Occupancy Tax was passed in the 1991 session's law and specified that Orange County could levy a room occupancy tax of up to 3%. 1~tt~~:r~~~~~~~~~~.nc~r<~.statc.~~c.u, ~~~~~~,~n~ 1~~~~I~I3iII~~S~~ ~.:~.~ 11~1~'~11 iS(;`'~~~i.html The bill gives both Chapel Hill Town Council and the Orange County Board of Commissioners prerogative to decide on the allocation of the revenues collected from this tax annually during its budgeting process. At least ten percent (10%) of the annual revenues shall be used to provide funding for visitor information services and to support cultural events. Since in its inception, the Visitors Bureau staff and programs of work have been funded by the Orange County Board of County Commissioners. In 1994/95, the town of Chapel Hill began giving the visitor's bureau a grant, which first equaled a flat $30,000 and then took the following course: - In 1995/96; 15% of the occupancy tax revenues or $71,000. - In 1996/97; 15% of the occupancy tax revenues or $80,000. - In 1997/98; 15% or $83,779. - In 1998/99; 15% or $83,751. - 1999/2000; 15% or $98,860. - 2000/2001; 15% or $94,545. - 2001/2002; 15% or $88,498. - 2003/2004; 15% or $84,116. - 2004/OS REVERTS TO 10% GRANT OR $67,000 - 2005/06 STAYS AT 10% GRANT OR $69,000 - 2006/07; inches up to $85,000 at VB request. - 2007/08; inches up to $100,000 at VB request. - 2008/09 inches up to its current $130,000 with $20,000 additional grant.