V&P 2012 Tourism expenses
Total
Monroe Chamber of Comm. $26,295
Main Street Monroe $12,906
WEKZ $12,500
Discover Wis., Mediaworks $12,000
Monroe Balloon Rally $11,650
Cheese Days $10,000
Nat'l Historic Cheesemakers $2,292
GC ATV Club $2,175
GC Tourism $2,000
Alpine Curing Club $1,168
GC Model Railroaders $960
Big Brothers-Big Sisters $605
GC YMCA $374
Total expenses paid out $94,925
MONROE - The City of Monroe Visitor and Promotion Board voted unanimously Tuesday, Aug. 27, to suspend approving any more requests for funding this year.
Including the requests approved so far this year, the program is seeing a cash shortfall of about $24,000, which City Clerk Carol Stamm said will diminish as quarterly payments from collected room taxes come in. But the program may still be in the red when the board starts its new round of request approvals next year.
The city room tax, four percent paid by guests at Monroe's five hotel, motels and inns, brings in about $70,000 annually. About 98 percent of that revenue is used exclusively by the Visitor and Promotion Board to fund events and advertising that draw more visitors to the city. The remaining two percent goes to the inn keepers for administrative costs.
The state's room tax law directs these taxes be spent on marketing tools or projects, tourist information services and municipal development that are used by tourists and "reasonably likely to generate overnight stays."
The suspension comes even as four new applications, including ones from the Monroe Balloon Rally and the Green County Model Railroaders, wait for board review in the clerk's office.
"They're all good causes, but there's only so much money," said Mayor Bill Ross, chairman of the board.
"We need to bring ourselves back up (financially), so we can start looking ahead," he added.
Ross advised the board to meet before approving new requests to review its policy for approvals, to determine how far in advance to commit funds and to decide how much funding to have on hand before approving requests. Board members asked to meet in late fall.
The board is also going to consider setting aside a portion of the annual revenue to be dedicated for small organizations' requests.
Board member Tom Miller noted that the total of large requests "pretty much take all we bring in."
"... then we don't have money to give the little (organizations)," Sharon Riese added.
In an interview after the meeting, Ross said organizations' requested amounts have remained about the same year to year, which makes it convenient for the board to anticipate upcoming requests.
He believes the board may be able to adequately determine an amount for each of the "heavy hitters" early on in the fiscal year, which could be granted to them in one sum without requiring the usual series of requests and presentations for each individual project.
Large requesters in 2012 were Green County Department of Tourism, Monroe Chamber of Commerce, Main Street Monroe and WEKZ for advertising costs.
Board members also agreed the city needs to enforce strictly the existing interest and penalty fees for collected room taxes that inn keepers turn in late.
Including the requests approved so far this year, the program is seeing a cash shortfall of about $24,000, which City Clerk Carol Stamm said will diminish as quarterly payments from collected room taxes come in. But the program may still be in the red when the board starts its new round of request approvals next year.
The city room tax, four percent paid by guests at Monroe's five hotel, motels and inns, brings in about $70,000 annually. About 98 percent of that revenue is used exclusively by the Visitor and Promotion Board to fund events and advertising that draw more visitors to the city. The remaining two percent goes to the inn keepers for administrative costs.
The state's room tax law directs these taxes be spent on marketing tools or projects, tourist information services and municipal development that are used by tourists and "reasonably likely to generate overnight stays."
The suspension comes even as four new applications, including ones from the Monroe Balloon Rally and the Green County Model Railroaders, wait for board review in the clerk's office.
"They're all good causes, but there's only so much money," said Mayor Bill Ross, chairman of the board.
"We need to bring ourselves back up (financially), so we can start looking ahead," he added.
Ross advised the board to meet before approving new requests to review its policy for approvals, to determine how far in advance to commit funds and to decide how much funding to have on hand before approving requests. Board members asked to meet in late fall.
The board is also going to consider setting aside a portion of the annual revenue to be dedicated for small organizations' requests.
Board member Tom Miller noted that the total of large requests "pretty much take all we bring in."
"... then we don't have money to give the little (organizations)," Sharon Riese added.
In an interview after the meeting, Ross said organizations' requested amounts have remained about the same year to year, which makes it convenient for the board to anticipate upcoming requests.
He believes the board may be able to adequately determine an amount for each of the "heavy hitters" early on in the fiscal year, which could be granted to them in one sum without requiring the usual series of requests and presentations for each individual project.
Large requesters in 2012 were Green County Department of Tourism, Monroe Chamber of Commerce, Main Street Monroe and WEKZ for advertising costs.
Board members also agreed the city needs to enforce strictly the existing interest and penalty fees for collected room taxes that inn keepers turn in late.