Tourism pushes for monthly check

Executive director Tyrisha Battle and board president Jamarr Walton approached the mayor and aldermen in September seeking the monthly check for the Holly Springs Tourism and Recreation Bureau.

“I just came to gripe and complain a little bit,” Battle said. “This thing with the monthly tourism check — it’s getting a little perturbing having to come back to the board. I need you (the city) to be able to cut our check a little earlier.”

Holly Springs Tourism gets one penny on the dollar from a two pennies on the dollar tourism tax collected in Holly Springs.

Battle said she is concerned about an audit.

“I would implore you all to get together and get a check approved before my board meeting,” she said.

Battle said over the years the city gets a monthly check. She said she has been told the tax collected comes from the state to the city, and then the city cuts tourism a check.

Battle said she knows what tourism’s portion is and her board meets the fourth Monday of each month.

“I’d like a check before that,” she said. “I can’t give them (tourism board) a financial report if you just hold me up while I wait for you all for a decision.”

Ward 1 alderman Bernita Fountain asked if Battle is asking to be placed on the agenda or to get a check authorized before it comes back before the board.

Mayor Sharon Gipson replied.

“I will not continue to sign checks without coming before this board,” the mayor said. “I had a special meeting to accommodate tourism before.”

Gipson said the matter came to her attention at 5 p.m.

“We’ll look at it,” she said. Gipson said she will not approve a check before the funds are in place. She said there may be a way the state can send the tourism portion directly to the Holly Springs Tourism Bureau. She said there is no motion to keep anyone from receiving funds they are due. Battle said she had talked with the attorney general. “It put me behind the 8 ball,” she said. “I called at 11 this morning and asked to be put on the agenda tonight so we could have our check by tomorrow.” Gipson reiterated she is going to try to get tourism’s check sent directly from the state to the bureau. Ward 4 alderman Patricia Merriweather weighed in, asking Gipson if there is any way to get tourism on the agenda “tonight.” Battle explained the previous administration typically cut tourism’s check between the 17^th to the 21^st of the month. “I just wanted to know if it could have been put on the agenda,” Merriweather said.

Gipson said a prior request from tourism for a check was approved at a special meeting (during budget time).

Ward 2 alderman Andre Jones asked if the funds are already in the city’s account for the month.

Battle said the tourism tax check is deposited by the state into the tourism sinking account in Holly Springs. Then funds are distributed from that account by a check to tourism. It has been board policy, she said.

“If funds are available, I don’t see any issue of putting it on the agenda,” Jones said.

Gipson said she got the information too late, and no figures were provided as to the amount of money due.

“We definitely have dealt with it before,” Gipson said.

“How was it previously done and what is the problem now?” asked alderman-at-large Dexter Shipp.

“They were cutting checks without approval of the board and also in the utility department at times,” Gipson said.

Fountain said the prior board gave mayor Kelvin Buck authority to approve the checks.

“He may have been more comfortable,” Gipson said. “This is the process I am using. This is to see if funds go directly to tourism.”

“As of now, September bills won’t be paid until October,” Merriweather said.

“It (the check) needs to get to me in a timely fashion,” Battle said.

“I agree with the mayor, the board approves as the mayor explained,” Merriweather said. “So we have to think ahead and plan ahead. We want, as a board, to make sure we do what we can.”

Ward 3 alderman Colter Teel shifted the conversation to keeping the city open during emergency order related to COVID-19.

“My question is you (Gipson) said you are doing everything to keep from shutting it down?” Teel asked. “Is that something you can do? Shutting down affects people’s income.”

“I want to keep the city open. We have not shut down, but we are monitoring,” said Gipson, referring to her COVID-19 pandemic emergency declaration.

“I think the declaration should be brought before the city board for approval,” Jones said.

“We are under a mask mandate,” Gipson said.

Merriweather asked city attorney John Perry to clarify the declaration and emergency order.

Perry said he thinks the governor declared a state of emergency about a month ago and he does not know if it has been rescinded.

“Local governments can use less restrictive means,” he said.

Generally it would be brought before the board, he said.

“The order says the mayor and board,” Merriweather said. “We didn’t vote on that. Can it (the executive order) take action without the board of aldermen?”

Perry said generally the mayor issues a document and then brings it before the board of aldermen. Aldermen can take action to rescind, he said.

“The short answer to that question is, yes, the mayor can declare a state of emergency,” Perry said.

Editor’s Note – Update

In a special called meeting of the mayor and board of aldermen Thursday, Sept. 30, tourism’s disbursement request for the month of August was approved following transfer of tourism receipts from the state of $33,433.

A motion to issue a check to the Holly Springs Tourism and Recreation Bureau in the amount of $16,716.73 for the August 2021 percentage was approved by the board of aldermen. The city’s portion for the month was the same, $16,716.73.