The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

The Orange County Hotel Occupancy Tax Committee met on Thursday, Feb. 9 to review fourteen qualified applications for funding from the County’s Hotel Occupancy Tax fund. The applications totaled $199,575. The Committee, however, pared down the requested funds to a total of $108,000.

The Committee will hold a public hearing at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 29 at the Orange County Commissioner’s Courtroom, 123 6^th Street, Orange, Texas. The Committee will hear from the entities making application for the funds and from any interested party wishing to comment on the expenditure of the funds.

The total amount of funds available to the Committee for this fiscal year is $350.397.65. All remaining monies will be dedicated to funding the future CHAMPS project to be located on Highway 1442 south of Interstate 10.

Once the hearing is completed, the Committee will make a formal recommendation to the County Commissioner’s Court for expenditure of the funds. The final decision for spending the funds will be made by the Commissioners at that time. This funding cycle is for the 2010-2012 fiscal years.

See the list of entities requesting funding and the Committee’s recommendations below:

Bridge City Chamber/Historical Museum: original amount requested - $30,000; committee recommendation - $15,000.

Greater Orange Area Chamber of Commerce: original amount requested - $20,000; committee recommendation - $20,000.

Gulf Coast Cajun Chapter CFMA: original amount requested - $10,000; committee recommendation - $5,000.

Heritage House: original amount requested - $25,000; committee recommendation - $12,000.

Historical Museum of Bridge City #1 Heritage Festival: original amount requested - $12,000; committee recommendation - $12,000.

Historical Museum of Bridge City #2 Caldwell home: original amount requested - $18,000; committee recommendation - n/a.

Lutcher Theater: original amount requested - $20,000; committee recommendation - $12,500.

Orange County EDC: original amount requested - $7,000; committee recommendation - $7,000.

Orange County Historical Commission: original amount requested - $6,000; committee recommendation - $6,000.

Orangefield Cormier Museum #1 Operational: original amount requested - $4,000; committee recommendation - n/a.

Orangefield Cormier Museum #1 Preservation: original amount requested - $4,575; committee recommendation - $8,500.

Orangefield Cormier Museum #3 Advertising: original amount requested - $8,000; committee recommendation - n/a.

Vidor Chamber of Commerce #1 Bar-B-Q Festival: original amount requested - $10,000; committee recommendation - $10,000.

Vidor Chamber of Commerce #2 Music Festival: original amount requested - $25,000*; committee recommendation - n/a.

* denotes typographical correction per applicant request.

The total amount requested - $199,575; total amount recommended by committee - $108,000.