By Debbie Hall
The county’s audit report and a public hearing on a proposed Transient Occupancy Tax Ordinance are among the items on the Patrick County Board of Supervisors Dec. 20 meeting agenda.
The meeting begins at 6 p.m., in the third-floor court room of the Patrick County Veterans Memorial Building on Rucker Street in Stuart.
Scott Wickham, of Robinson, Farmer, Cox Associates, will present the Audit Report.
The public hearing on the proposed ordinance is scheduled to begin at 6:15 p.m.
If approved, the county would take an additional one percent of the lodging tax, effectively changing the current split of the tax proceeds between the county and the tourism department from the current 80 percent for the tourism department and 20 percent for the county to 60 percent for the tourism department and 40 percent to the county.
Sandra Belcher, director of the tourism and marketing department, has said that if the board votes to increase the transient occupancy tax to the proposed amount, the county would receive around $160,000.
Additionally, increasing the split would mean a loss to residents, Belcher said, and added the Tourism Advisory Council (TAC), which disperses tax proceeds, uses the funds to help market the county and increase tourism.
The cut in funding will ensure there is not enough to pay the salaries of the tourism employees or effectively market the county, Belcher has said.
In other matters, supervisors also are scheduled to:
*Hear a report from Jason Wood, Acting Superintendent of Patrick County Schools.
*Hear a report from Sean Adkins, director of Economic Development.
*Discuss staffing issues and job losses at the Patrick County Sheriff’s Office.
*Hear reports from Geri Hazelwood, county administrator, and committee reports from supervisors assigned to various committees.
*Honor retiring employees Janet Rorrer, Sharon Hooker and Ed Belcher.
*Honor outgoing board members Jane Fulk and Crystal Harris.
*Consider meeting in closed session to discuss personnel, legal contract and real estate matters,
