By Louis Zylka
The 830 Times
The Del Rio City Council recently approved an updated version of the annual hotel occupancy tax fund application.
Council members discussed the annual HOT fund application review and adoption during their Tuesday, Oct. 28, regular meeting. Hotel occupancy tax funds, as described here, are collected from guests who stay overnight in local hotels, motels or short-term rentals and can be used to promote tourism and bring visitors to the community.
Councilwoman Carmen Gutierrez made the motion to approve the HOT fund application, and Mayor Pro-tem Jim DeReus gave the second.
Assistant City Manager Manuel Chavez opened the topic by addressing the updates to the application made by the city’s internal HOT fund committee, as well as the feedback given and concerns raised at a town hall meeting on Oct. 21. Changes to the one-time event application and annual application was discussed at the meeting.
Chavez said the reason the annual application was being proffered for approval at the council meeting was because it involves the most time-sensitive process, as well as having the least changes. He said the only major changes were updated sections made to comply with state law, including the definition of tourism, the application deadlines and the wording for hotel stay examples. The application is available online for anyone to see on the city of Del Rio’s official website.
After Chavez finished speaking, Councilman Jesus Lopez Jr. wanted to know about the major highlights of the Oct. 21 town hall meeting. Lopez also asked Chavez what feedback was given by citizens. Chavez said the majority of the feedback dealt with the one-time event application for funds, which will be brought back for approval at another meeting.
Gutierrez spoke next and thanked the citizens who attended the town hall meeting. Gutierrez said the only criticisms she recalled from the meeting were the discussion about using HOT funds to advertise events within a 75-mile radius of Del Rio and the request to add representatives from local businesses, especially the hotels, to the internal HOT fund committee. She said the community “wants representation” on the committee.
Gutierrez said the only part holding her back from approving the HOT fund application was that there will be no changes to the internal committee.
“I don’t understand why we don’t have (representation in the committee). Ever since I’ve been a member of the council, we have had citizens participating on all other (committees) . . . And yet this is the only one that is an internal review committee,” Gutierrez said.
Chavez clarified, saying the council reviews and approves all the one-time event applications received, and the annual applications are reviewed by the internal committee, which then are also submitted for approval by council. He said the internal committee only checks for any missing information on the one-time event applications before being reviewed by council.
“The one-time event applications are only reviewed by council . . . The internal committee only reviews the annual applications,” Chavez said.
Chavez said there used to be a separate committee that reviewed one-time event applications until it was dissolved a few years ago. Gutierrez said there should be one committee to review both the one-time event applications and annual applications.
Lupita De La Paz from the Casa De La Cultura, Blanca Larson from the Del Rio Chamber of Commerce and Michael Diaz from the Whitehead Memorial Museum were also in attendance to answer questions and give feedback to the council on the updated application. Arreola asked De La Paz, Larson and Diaz if they had any comments on the application, and they responded by saying how there were minimal changes made.
