The Music Commission has formed a working group that could reshape how the city will award grants to live music venues as part of an expansion of the Live Music Fund. The group, which will likely include five commission members and operators of a handful of local venues, is expected to deliver its recommendations by […]
Hotel Occupancy Tax
A tax on the rental of a room in a hotel or other rental properties (including apartments) that cost 6 percent of the cost of a room.
Posted inPreservation
City Council approves 2024 Heritage Preservation Grants
On Thursday, City Council approved a list of Heritage Preservation Grants funded by $3.59 million in Hotel Occupancy Tax dollars. The 23 applicants will receive anywhere from $15,000 to $250,000 to fund their proposals, which range from concrete repair projects to more abstract endeavors like educational programming and planning processes. Highlights include awards to the […]
Posted inHousing
Short-term rentals come under Tourism Commission scrutiny, with Council action expected this year
Members of the Tourism Commission signaled this week that they intend to ask City Council to pursue new policies covering the short-term rental industry and the proliferation across the city of residences acting as de facto hotels. At Wednesday’s meeting, commissioners heard from residents, including Stephanie Ashworth, co-founder of the Austin-based Texas Neighborhood Coalition, who […]
Posted inCity Hall
Tourism Commission wants more transparency on hotel tax funding decisions for arts groups
Members of the Tourism Commission have signaled they want more transparency from the Economic Development Department regarding how Hotel Occupancy Tax dollars allocated for music, cultural arts and historic preservation programs are used. At its most recent meeting, the commission pushed EDD staff to provide an annual report of how all hotel tax revenue for […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Despite its name, the Live Music Fund is not just for live music
The 650-plus applications for grants from the city’s inaugural Live Music Fund are in the early stages of evaluation and scoring, with the awards of $5,000 and $10,000 slated for initial distribution beginning in September. The Music Commission received a briefing Monday on next steps in the $3.5 million program, which closed its application process […]
Posted inAustin
Tourism Commission seeks answers on stalled hotel tax to fund homeless services
The Tourism Commission wants to take a hard look at the lack of progress on, and new considerations involved in, the long-discussed taxing district that could see large hotels contribute a new tax levy toward costs associated with homelessness. Next month, the commission will receive a presentation from Scott Joslove, a former commission member and […]
Posted inAustin
Arts, music commissions to renew push for short-term rental tax collections
It appears arts and music advocates will likely ask City Council to reach an agreement with short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb and begin receiving millions of dollars in uncollected hotel taxes that could in part benefit the local creative community. Both the Music Commission and Arts Commission have in the past year asked the […]
Posted inBudget
City’s hotel tax on the upswing after pandemic
The city’s Arts Commission heard an update last week on the status of the Cultural Arts Fund and Hotel Occupancy Tax collection numbers for the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2022-23. After a rough showing during the pandemic, there are signs the revenue source is again on the rise. The Hotel Occupancy Tax – the […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Music Commission shows support for STR agreement but delays recommendation to Council
The Music Commission voiced support Monday for the city to enter into an agreement with short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb, but opted to gather more information from staff and held off on making a recommendation to City Council over the matter. The presentation from Luis Briones, Airbnb’s Texas director of public policy and government […]
Posted inCity Council
Council moves forward with arts funding plan, promising relief for nonprofit grant applicants
Following the recommendations of the Arts Commission, City Council has approved funding for cultural arts programs with plans to significantly expand its nonprofit relief grant program. That’s good news for the program’s applicants, who can all expect to see checks by the end of the year. Continuing its effort to support institutions impacted by Covid-19, […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Music Commission opts to reevaluate Live Music Fund after affirming diversity goals
The Music Commission will gather more community feedback on the guidelines for the city’s $2.3 million Live Music Fund, but agreed Monday that diversity and inclusion will be one of its baseline goals. The commission unanimously approved three resolutions related to the fund, which is funded by hotel tax revenues, thanks to a 2019 City […]
Posted inCity Hall
Tovo eyes historic preservation funds for undisclosed property negotiations
The grant program that uses Hotel Occupancy Tax money to help improve historic sites could be put on hold for a year so the city could use its funding to purchase historic sites. At City Council’s Audit and Finance Committee meeting this week, Council Member Kathie Tovo said her objection earlier this year to approving […]