Fredericksburg, Texas – The Fredericksburg City Council granted $458,982 of Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) funds to 25 applicants at its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday.
The meeting concluded a nearly two-month process, which included an orientation meeting for potential applicants on April 11, a May 1 application deadline and then a Special City Council Meeting on May 30 to interview the applicants.
Highlights of the 2024 recipients were the Admiral Nimitz Foundation, which operates the National Museum of the Pacific War and received $80,000 in funding, after welcoming over 107,000 guests in 2023, the Gillespie County Historical Society, which received $71,324 for painting of Pioneer Museum facilities, and Der Stadt Friedhof Cemetery, which received $75,000 for continuing preservation efforts at its site.
The process was revamped for 2024 to allow for a resetting of the funds used. In past years, City HOT funds have been awarded prior to their collection, requiring a forecasting of future revenues. Starting with the granting of the 2025 funds, the City will be offering grants from monies already collected.
By state law, the City collects HOT from hotels, motels, condominiums, and short-term rentals and the revenue from HOT may be used only to directly promote tourism and/or the hotel and convention industry.
First, in the two-step process every funded project must attract overnight tourists to the City of Fredericksburg’s lodging industry. Second, in the two-step process the use of HOT funds is limited to the following statutorily provided categories: Promotions of the Arts, Historical Restoration and Preservation Activities, Sporting Event Expenses and Advertising, Solicitations and Promotions.
See below for a full list of the 2024 City of Fredericksburg HOT grant recipients…
- Admiral Nimitz Foundation - $80,000
- Christian Methodist Episcopal Church - $25,000
- Die Kunstler Von Fredericksburg - $3,000
- Fredericksburg Art Guild - $2,900
- Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce (Light the Night Christmas Parade) - $15,000
- Fredericksburg Farmers Market - $5,000
- Fredericksburg Junior Chamber of Commerce (Crawfish Festival) - $15,000
- Fredericksburg Music Club - $3,500
- Fredericksburg Rotary Club Foundation, Inc. (Craft Beer Festival) - $10,000
- Fredericksburg Theater Company - $20,000
- Friends of Gillespie County Country Schools - $2,000
- German Choirs of Fredericksburg - $5,000
- Gillespie County Fair & Festival Associations - $45,000
- Gillespie County Historical Society (Renovations) - $71,324
- Gillespie County Historical Society (Home Tour) - $9,858
- Heart of the Hills Resources (Turkey Trot) - $3,000
- Oktoberfest/PCAA - $10,000
- Stonewall Chamber of Commerce (Peach JAMboree) - $10,000
- Flavory TX - $7,500
- Frontier History Company - $5,900
- Heritage School (Eisbahn) - $10,000
- Vereins Quilt Guild of Fredericksburg - $5,000
- Pedernales Valley Heritage Foundation - $15,000
- Texas Wine Auction - $5,000
- Der Stadt Friedhof Cemetery - $75,000
The process to apply for 2025 funds will open in November 2024.
To learn more about the City of Fredericksburg, go to FBGTX.org or contact City Hall at (830) 997-7521.
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