Main Street manager to oversee HOT tax funds

By Ben Woods
bwoods@casscountynow.com

The Linden City Council last week discussed and approved a resolution moving management of the hotel and motel tax from the Linden Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) 4B to Main Street Manager Allie Anderson. 
City Manager Bob Swisher spoke at the Mar. 13 meeting about the change in how the hotel and motel tax funds would be managed.
“The HOT (hotel and motel) tax is a city function and I have met with the LEDC,” Swisher said. “This is one of the things that the Main Street manager generally does and it doesn’t mean that LEDC won’t propose uses for it. This is one of the things that was in the job description when I hired Allie, that is that she would manage HOT tax money and we would have a strategic plan for the HOT tax money as part of the Main Street program. 
“We have looked at other HOT tax systems,” Swisher continued, “and we are going to have an application process and a strategic plan for what we are saving for and where it is going to go in the end, and we will be coordinating with the hotel because they are the one generating this tax money.”
LEDC office manager Beverly Freeman presented an LEDC update.
Freeman presented two reports, on local sales and use tax and fourth quarter hotel and motel tax. 
The total net payment for sales and use tax for March is $27,127, of which $13,563 went to the City of Linden. The remaining sales tax revenue was split between the LEDC 4A and 4B and each received $6,781.95. 
The fourth quarter hotel and motel tax deposit was $2,441.32 which brought the current balance to $14,132.58.
Freeman also spoke about the progress of the audit for LEDC. “We have lost our auditor and we are in the process of getting proposals from two firms,” she said. 
Anderson presented a report on the progress of the Main Street program, including the new logo that has been created. 
“We will be using the logo on social media and in physical applications frequently and it has been a great way to kick off with a visual and exciting project,” said Anderson.
Anderson also spoke about the Texas Main Street Resource Team visit, and mentioned the information and help the group provided. 
“They did extensive data collection on our downtown properties, such as physical information as well as market research,” said Anderson. 
“They are currently working on a big fat report to send us that will possibly take three to four months because of how it has to go through the chain of command at the Texas Historical Commission. I will be receiving a rough draft of the report in about eight weeks. 
“We will be using all of that information to steer our plan of work for the next year.”