Sumter commissioners voted Tuesday to renew an agreement to provide money supporting nightly entertainment at the Lake Sumter Landing and Brownwood town squares.
At their July 23 meeting, they approved a $120,000 grant for the next fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, which will be matched by The Villages. The agreement provides authorization for the grant.
The Villages received $120,000 for the current fiscal year, even though town square entertainment was shut down for more than five months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The money comes from the county’s hotel tax, a surcharge on room charges. The Sumter County Tourism Council recommends grants to support events subject to final approval by commissioners.
A change in the latest agreement modifies the grant recipient to The Villages Operating Co. instead of The Villages of Lake Sumter. The Villages also is required to meet requirements of the state public records disclosure laws regarding the money, according to the agreement.
County Administrator Bradley Arnold, who signed the agreement on behalf of the county, said the grants are justified despite the five-month suspension of downtown entertainment.
He said the tourism council, chaired by Commissioner Doug Gilpin with representatives of tourist-related businesses, decides to recommend events that provide the most “heads to beds,” or hotel stays.
“The downtown entertainment has a substantial impact on hotel stays,” Arnold said.
Six months of entertainment during the past year, from Oct. 1, 2019 to March 1, 2020, had enough financial impact to justify the grant, he said.
Two years ago, the county increased its support for downtown entertainment from $80,000.
Arnold said other events such as shooting matches sponsored by the Blackjack Sporting Clays also have an impact on local tourism revenue.
Some of the grant recipients have considered rescheduling events canceled due to the pandemic.
