PURPOSE
This document sets forth the guidelines and categories for grant requests from tourist development tax funds. Grant request applications will be accepted from organizations that will sponsor and promote tourism activities within Jackson County and bring substantial numbers of visitors to the County.
AUTHORIZATION HISTORY
The Florida State Legislature enacted the Local Option Tourist Development Act (Section 125,0104, Florida Statutes) in response to the growing need of Florida counties to provide additional revenue sources for tourist development in an effort to stimulate the local economy. In response to this need, the voters of Jackson County approved, in 1998, a two (2%) percent tourist development tax on transient rental accommodations. A Tourist Development Council (hereafter referred to as 'TDC') was also created to assist the Jackson County Board of County Commissioners in Planning ways in which to use the revenues received through the tourist development tax, based on statutory guidelines.
TIMETABLE FOR REVIEW
The TDC will make available grant applications to organizations that express an interest in receiving funds. Projects must meet the guidelines and criteria outlined in this document.
Completed grant
applications should be submitted to the TDC 60
days prior to the need of funds.. TDC
meetings are held the third Wednesday of each month. This should be taken into
consideration when applying for your grant. Your application must be submitted
no later than 4:00 p.m. on the Friday prior to a TDC meeting. The 60 day
timeline for review begins with that TDC meeting. Example:
Submitted in July, presented in August, voted on in September.
EVALUATION PROCEDURES
The following procedures will be strictly followed. Applicants are cautioned not to contact any member of the Jackson County Board of County Commissioners or Tourist Development Council regarding their request. All contacts should be channeled through the TDC office.
The
TDC will review all grant applications to determine if they meet the established
criteria for funding. Only those requests that will have a substantial economic
impact on the County from visitors will be considered further. The TDC will
notify qualifying applications that are to be considered further with
instructions as to a scheduled time, date and location for a formal presentation
to the TDC.
Following those formal presentations, the TDC will vote on each qualifying
applications at the next TDC meeting. Those
applications approved for funding will then be presented for approval at the
next scheduled Jackson County Board of County Commissioners meeting. If
approved, funds will be mailed to the TDC
Administrator and you will be contacted for delivery/pickup of your check.
All material submitted with grant applications will become a matter of public record, open to inspection by any citizen of the State of Florida subject to Chapter 119, Florida Statutes.
| JCTDC GRANT APPLICATION INFORMATION | | TOURIST DEVELOPMENT FUND GRANT REQUEST | | TOURIST DEVELOPMENT PLAN |
| GUIDELINES AND USES OF TOURIST DEVELOPMENT FUNDS | | CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION OF APPLICATIONS |