A proposal to double this year’s $60,000 Sumter County tourism grant for entertainment on the Brownwood and Lake Sumter town squares failed to win the support Tuesday night of the county Board of Commissioners.
But the board voted to hike the grant to $80,000, as recommended by the Sumter County Tourist Development Council. The money comes from tourism taxes collected from people who stay at local hotels.
Commissioner Doug Gilpin, a fiscal conservative who chairs the tourism council, said the grant should be doubled to $120,000 because it now helps fund entertainment at two town squares. He said the entertainment brings people to the area.
“To me, it’s just math and common sense,” said Gilpin, who does not live in The Villages. “The return on investment is tremendous. You feed the engine that produces the best.”
He said he doesn’t want the tourism council to act like a “bank and trust” and hoard its dollars, but to spend them on increasing tourism.
The Villages had requested $60,000, the same amount received last year. This is the fourth year the grant has been awarded.
Other commissioners weren’t convinced by Gilpin to double the money, but agreed to a $20,000 increase.
“The (economic) contributions do more than make up for the (grant) and could justify a greater amount,” said Commissioner Don Hahnfeldt.
Commissioner Don Burgess said the two squares don’t draw equally and “there is a difference in the two locations at the present time.”
The board also approved a $40,000 tourism grant to the Villages Homeowners Association Charitable Foundation for a country western hoedown to be held at The Villages polo field.
In other business, commissioners approved a special use permit for St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church on County Road 462 to build a 7,500-square-foot rectory and 5,000-square-foot maintenance facility on 16.2 acres.
