NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Clarksville is looking to dive more into the arts and different cultures by creating a new "Arts Culture and Tourism" board. The city announced the plan this week as a steppingstone to fund a new Clarksville Performing Arts Center.
State law prohibits the city from lending its credit. The new authority board would operate as a legally separate entity from the city government, so it would be able to issue debt to pay for the project.
The board would hold the title to the Performing Arts Center, but the city will be responsible for appointing people to the board. In addition to the Performing Arts Center, the board would be responsible for managing all city resources flowing to arts and tourism and their facilities.
They'll shape the calendar of events for cultural events, highlight some of all that Clarksville has to offer and help bring money to the city.
It would collect the revenue from the facilities it operates, and benefit from city and county hotel taxes. A city hotel and motel tax of 4%, dedicated to tourism, would result in approximately $2.2 million annually. The county hotel and motel tax of 8% with 12.5% to the City’s General Fund. The County ratified a measure on July 9, 2018, stipulating that approximately $650,000 annually would be budgeted to fund City tourism.
It is currently budgeted to fund the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center.
The goal is for the Authority to be self-supporting. As it launches, if revenues and the two categories of Hotel/Motel tax that the City will dedicate to the Authority are not sufficient, the Authority may request financial assistance from the City. The City can use non-property/ad valorem tax dollars to support the Authority.
If the board were to ever dissolve the board's assets would go back to the city. We'll let you know if this moves forward and who they decide to place on the board when that information comes along.
Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
