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Organizations that help bring tourism and visitors to Rosenberg can now apply for a Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) Fund reimbursement grant for 2023-2024.
Municipal hotel occupancy taxes are governed by Chapter 351 of the Texas Tax Code and by the City of Rosenberg Code of Ordinances. Under those codes, the city of Rosenberg collects a 7% hotel occupancy tax from hotels, bed and breakfasts, and other lodging facilities. By law, these funds must be used to promote tourism and the hotel industry within the City. Each year Rosenberg City Council approves an amount of HOT Funds to be allocated to outside organizations.
At the Tuesday, September 12, 2023 Special City Council Meeting, City Council formally adopted the FY23-24 budget, which included $100,000 for this year’s HOT Fund grants.
Events or activities are eligible to apply for the HOT funds grant if the applicant’s planned use of funds falls within at least one of the following eight categories:
- Constructing, improving, enlarging, equipping, repairing, operating and maintaining a convention center or visitor information center.
- Paying the administrative costs for facilitation of convention registration.
- Advertising and conducting promotional programs to attract tourists and convention delegates or registrants.
- Encouragement, promotion, improvement and application of the arts.
- Funding historical restoration or preservation programs.
- Funding certain expenses, including promotional expenses, directly related to a sporting event within counties with a population of under 1 million.
- Funding the enhancement and upgrading of existing sports facilities or sports fields for certain municipalities: if the municipality owns the facilities or fields or meets a certain population requirement.
- Signage directing the public to sights and attractions that are visited frequently by hotel guests in the municipality.
Applications are available now, and completed applications must be postmarked, emailed or delivered by hand to the Communications Department at the Rosenberg Development Corporation Building located at 3829 Highway 36 S, Rosenberg, TX 77471, by Monday, October 2, 2023, at 5:30 p.m. The HOT Funds Evaluation committee will review applications and submit funding recommendations to City Council in October. City Council will then consider approval of the HOT grant reimbursement agreements for the projects that the HOT Evaluation Committee recommended.
The application and guidelines are available at City Hall or the RDC Building during regular business hours, or on the city of Rosenberg website at rosenbergtx.gov. For more information, contact Director of Communications Tanya Kveton at 832-595-3301 or via email at tkveton@rosenbergtx.gov.
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