Commissioners begin distributing bed tax grant funds
On Monday, June 17 the Holmes County commissioners began distributing the annual Holmes County Bed Tax Grants to the area recipients, who were asked to stop by the Old Jail and sign an agreement with Susan Schie, Holmes County commissioner clerk, that has them committing to do a report within six months.
The commissioners issued a total of $209,358 in grants to 23 organizations.
The following organizations were chosen as 2024 recipients of this year’s bed tax grant funding:
—Holmes County Historical Society, $6,000 for marketing the historical society, Millersburg Glass Museum and Cultural Center.
—Holmes County Veterans Memorial, $8,000 for Phase II of the Millersburg Veteran’s Memorial.
—Holmes County Bicentennial/Chamber of Commerce, $40,000 for the Holmes County Bicentennial celebration.
—Holmes County Association for Handicapped Citizens, $2,500 for the 46th annual Spring Benefit & Festival.
—Winesburg Historical Society, $6,000 for the upkeep of public restrooms, Laurel Park, Heritage Park and Kinsey Museum.
—Holmes County Agricultural Society, $7,500 for marketing and advertising the Holmes County Fair.
—Harvest Ridge Advisory Board, $7,500 for marketing and advertising Harvest Ridge.
—Holmes County Antique Festival, $5,000 to promote the Antique Festival.
—Killbuck Early American Days, $6,000 to promote the Early American Days Festival.
—Glenmont Community Center, $6,000 to resurface the community center parking lot.
—Marriage for Life, Inc., $5,000 for its conference.
—Hiland Invitational Amish Basketball Tournament, $5,000 to promote and operate its tournament.
—Walnut Creek Business Association, $20,000 for its Vintage Fair, tree lighting service, Journey to Bethlehem and website redesign.
—Scouters of Holmes County, $3,500 for the purchase of a new storage barn.
—Clark Community Center, Inc., $3,000 for several community events.
—Winesburg Community Business Association, $7,000 for a new e-bike charging station.
—Berlin Main Street Merchants, $25,000 for Berlin Harvest Fest & Rib Cook-off, live nativity parade and Music on the Square events.
—Berlin Township Trustees, $5,000 for cemetery renovation and streetlights.
—Holmes Center for the Arts, $6,358 for a wireless microphone for HCA.
—Historic Downtown Millersburg, $15,000 for Thunder Over Holmes County.
—Winesburg Parks & Recreation, $9,000 for park improvements, phase II.
—Classic in the Country, $8,000 for its annual high school girls basketball showcase.
—Killbuck Valley Museum, $3,000 for promotion of its museum.
The bed tax grant program started in 1999, when then commissioners Roger Clark and John Baker along with current commissioner Dave Hall spearheaded the movement to implement a program that would help support fledgling organizations and events that help bring people to the area for overnight stays.
Commissioner Joe Miller said that because there are so many people volunteering to step in and make these events and undertakings possible, it is an honor for the commissioners to step in and play a role in supporting each of them.
“Other counties don’t have that type of support in bringing people into their county,” Miller said. “We’re blessed to have people doing these events.”
Hall said they began working in partnership with the Holmes County Chamber to give these organizations and events a shot in the arm financially and since that time other counties have emulated this concept.
“It became a partnership with the chamber and always will be a partnership with the tourism board,” Hall said. “There’s a lot of need out there, and we want to make sure we get those dollars out there. That partnership has allowed us to send money back into the community.”
He added that oftentimes people don’t see how these dollars pay dividends in many ways, often inviting people to come back to Holmes County time and again, and the lodging industry in the county remains a vital cog in the process of building tourism in the county, and these programs and events are instrumental in bringing people in overnight.
