Apr. 20—Muskogee Tourism Authority could get a $455,000 boost from the city for capital projects and promotion.
Muskogee City Council is to consider transferring $455,000 from the city hotel/motel tax fund to the authority at its regular meeting 5:30 p.m. Monday.
Mayor Patrick Cale said he wants the Tourism Authority to manage the funds.
"They have experts on the board, have leading citizens on the board as capable — or maybe more capable — about making decisions about what they should fund; council is there to help," Cale said. "We don't think we should micromanage."
Council member Jaime Stout, who is making the proposal, said she wants the money to be used for large scale tourism promotion and for tourism-related capital projects.
She said the funds could not be used for ongoing expenses, operating costs or salaries, under her proposal.
Instead, the money would fund one-time needs such as wayfinding signage updates, visitor center accessibility and website overhaul, she said.
Stout said the money could fund overhaul of existing kiosk technology that has been in use for nearly 10 years.
Cale said funds also could be used for recruitment of new events.
"If we're having a major event, or the Bass Pro people coming in, we might need to recruit some people to run that event," he said.
Stout said the city has accumulated more that $750,000 in surplus from the hotel/motel tax.
"In January 2011, Muskogee citizens voted to increase the hotel/motel lodging tax from 3% to 8% for Convention and Tourism in Muskogee," she said. "Section 74-130 of that ordinance says, 'All taxes collected pursuant to the provisions of this article shall be set aside and used exclusively for the purpose of encouraging, promoting and fostering the convention and tourism development of the city.'"
According to an agenda packet for Monday's council meeting, the proposal also directs city staff to create an additional document to further define restrictions on the transferred funds.