Aiken County Disbursement

No doubt many of you have been aware of the goings on at MCG. If you have read a paper or seen a newscast in the last few months something about it has been reported. Let me be the first to tell you the closing took place yesterday, March 31, 2008. UBS and MCG signed all the papers and now the work begins. I was lucky enough to meet Mr. Spiak of UBS Financial and the President of MCG, Dr. Rahn, that same night. Along with attorneys and PR folks, they got together to celebrate the signing of all that paperwork and the beginning of a long relationship. There were locals as well as people all the way in from New York who gathered for this celebration. Presentations were made, gifts were given, and everyone enjoyed a five course meal and had a wonderful evening. Some were up and out at 3:30 a.m., others lingered over breakfast then headed to a final meeting before catching flights home.
By the time this is printed the meeting to decide the allocation of accommodation tax will have been held. Here are a few of the request:
1. Wagner is asking for $70,000.00 to improve the medians and to replace worn out signage to the entrances of the city with brick markers. I don’t know about you but I think their city should pay for that.
2. The N. A. Arts Council is requesting money for two handicap access ramps and electrical infrastructure for a cover for Maude Edenfield Park in order to have “Pickin’ in the Park” and have a nice place for a family setting. Accommodations taxes should, as stated in SC Codes, go to the arts but and please correct me if I am wrong, isn’t it a law that an entity must provide handicap access? Sure it would be nice to have a cover in the park but accommodations taxes are to promote tourism and family friendly settings invoke images of just our community.
3. Jackson is asking for $15,000.00 for a 50’ x 60’ pavilion in order to have a restrooms and storage for the huge number of tourist that flock to their city. Note the sarcasm.
4. North Augusta Arts & Heritage is asking for $18,000 for a Microsoft computer system to go in their new office and gift shop in the new Municipal building. They are paying rent for the office and gift shop, let the city furnish the computer system and they can also pay rent on that. How does a computer system promote tourism?
5. Old Towne is asking for $40,000.00 for a 3000 sq foot building in the Living History Park to enable them to hold weddings, receptions and concerts inside. Concerts promote tourism, weddings and receptions do not. As long as the building they build is in keeping with the theme of the park, it would be nice for them to have one.
6. Sally is asking for $10,000.00 to replace signage to their main entrances advertising the Chittlin’ Strut. Good idea. That brings in a lot of people from all over.
7. This is a good one. Montmorency is asking for $25,000.00 to build a second water source for the huge amounts of tourist that come there plus it will connect a new shopping center being built by a private developer. Let the private developer pay for his own water source, besides, the shopping center will only benefit residents.
8. Beech Island wants $20,000.00 for an Agriculture Museum.
9. Aiken is asking for $33,000.00 for fences around their “historic” polo field to keep vandals out. How does that promote tourism?
10. North Augusta Boxing Club is asking for $20,000.00 to build metal stairways to access the SC Boxing Hall of Fame and additional seating. They draw the enormous amount of 500-1000 tourist a year.
Now, go to the S.C. Code of Laws, section 6-4-10, read where and how the accommodations taxes are to be used then reread the request above. If I had room here I would paste it in but there is not enough room.
North Augusta is absolutely beautiful this year. I have never seen whiter dogwoods or more prolific azaleas or more gorgeous Lady Banks Roses. Ride around and take a look.