Groups ask for TOT funds

Community groups seeking Community Enhancement funds from the County of San Diego’s Transient Occupancy Tax revenue made their pleas to the Board of Supervisors June 9-10.

Each county supervisor has a $670,000 Community Enhancement budget and will decide how much of his or her budget will be given to each group requesting funds. Although the revenue is only from TOT money collected from lodging facilities in the unincorporated portion of the county, organizations in incorporated cities are eligible for funding.

Most organizations will receive less than the amount they requested. The money is not based on the previous year’s allocation, and there are no adverse consequences of asking for more money than will be granted. Because each county supervisor also has a discretionary Community Projects budget, some Community Enhancement requests can be fulfilled by that source.

The Bonsall Chamber of Commerce makes requests in some years but not every year. The Bonsall Chamber of Commerce did not seek any 2007-08 Community Enhancement funds but has requested $20,000 in 2008-09 TOT revenue. The money would cover $8,000 for the Bonsall Country Festival, $5,000 to create a Bonsall Chamber of Commerce interactive Website, $4,000 for a Bonsall Bucks coupon book, and $3,000 to produce a Bonsall business directory.

The Fallbrook Chamber of Commerce seeks TOT funds every year. The chamber received $85,000 in 2007 after requesting $256,541. The chamber’s $190,000 request for 2008-09 would cover $60,000 for Avocado Festival expenses, $50,000 for tourism support, $50,000 to provide economic development or expansion for existing businesses, and $30,000 for the Fallbrook Christmas Parade.

The Fallbrook Village Association, which received $45,000 in 2007 after requesting $100,000, once again requested $100,000. If the organization receives the full amount it would spend $35,000 to bring the restroom at the Fallbrook Art Center to current Americans with Disabilities Act standards, $30,000 for a reception and sculpture garden for the Fallbrook School of the Arts, $15,000 for advertising and marketing for the Fallbrook Art Center, $10,000 for outdoor lighting at the Fallbrook School of the Arts, and $10,000 to provide general support to the Fallbrook Area Visitors Bureau.

The Fallbrook Area Visitors Bureau itself first sought Community Enhancement funding last year, when it requested $165,000 and received $5,000. This year the bureau asked for $65,000, which would provide $38,000 for advertisements, $13,000 for marketing material, $10,000 for special event sponsorships, and $4,000 for media outreach.

Fallbrook/Bonsall Rally for Children, which requested $10,500 last year but did not receive any TOT revenue, has asked for $20,000. That amount would cover $10,000 for the Arts in the Park event, $4,500 for art materials and supplies for Arts in the Park, $2,000 for entertainment for Arts in the Park, $1,500 for buses to the Arts in the Park event, and $2,000 for the Art of Science program.

The Live Oak Park Coalition, which received $5,000 in 2007-08, repeated the $17,500 request it made last year. This year’s requested expenditures would allow $10,000 to rebuild the wedding area of Live Oak Park into an amphitheater and $7,500 to replace mature oak trees at the park.

The Fallbrook Historical Society, which received $4,000 of TOT funding last year while asking for $15,000, once again asked for $15,000. The money would be used for asphalt pavement of the area leading to and surrounding the museum’s interpretive center which is known as “The Barn.”

In 2007 the Fallbrook Art Association requested $12,000 and received $10,000. This year the association sought $14,500. That amount was based on $7,000 for the spring and fall art shows, $2,000 for public art demonstrations, $2,000 for art workshops, $2,000 for the Plane Air competition, and $1,500 for two art festivals in Downtown Fallbrook.

The Fallbrook Land Conservancy, which did not seek 2007-08 Community Enhancement funding, has requested $10,000 to cover $2,000 apiece for Stage Coach Sunday, the Tails and Trails dog show, planting and maintaining trees, maintaining the Santa Margarita Trail, and enhancing the Firescape Garden.

The Reche Community Club, which did not ask for 2007-08 funding, has requested $9,875 and would spend $7,500 to repair wood rot and termite damage in the old schoolhouse building while spending another $2,375 to replace doors with termite and weather damage.

The Fallbrook Music Society, which received $3,000 from the Community Enhancement source last year and requested $10,000, requested $8,000 for 2008-09. That would fund $6,000 for the Lucerne Festival Strings Concert and $2,000 for the Salzburg Chamber soloists from Austria concert.

The Fallbrook Gem and Mineral Society asked for $3,000, equaling both the 2007 request and last year’s provided amount. This year’s funding would provide $1,500 to landscape the museum and $1,500 for the preparation, printing, and distribution of promotional postcards.

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