Tooele County needs a tourism guru.
That’s what John Cluff, chairman of the county’s tourism advisory board, told the county commission Tuesday night.
“The county needs to hire a tourism expert, either an employee, a consultant or a contractor that can help us develop a plan for tourism and brand the county for tourism,” he said.
Other goals established by the tourism board included construction of a visitor center, measuring and quantifying tourism in Tooele County, and developing existing tourism facilities.
But money for the tourism expert wasn’t included on the board’s list of recommended grants for 2015.
The tourism board’s list of recommended grants consisted of a thoughtful way to divide $400,500 budgeted for 2015 tourism grant applications, according to Cluff.
The board received 31 applications for tourism funds that totaled $1,053,904.
“Ten grant applications were turned down and most of the applicants did not receive the full amount they requested,” Cluff said.
The largest grant approved was $150,000 for Miller Motorsports Park for advertising followed by $64,505 for Country Fan Fest to promote Tooele County in its advertising.
The Tooele County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism received a $57,500 grant for brochures and magazine updates.
Other grants that were approved included: $1,200 to Tooele Daughters of Utah Pioneers to replace the Black Rock marker plaque; $12,000 to the Tooele Pioneer Museum for operations, maintenance and programs; $10,955 to the Benson Gristmill for operations and maintenance; $5,000 to the Iosepa historical site for a four-night pageant; $750 to the Grantsville Performing Arts for four nights of plays; and $1,000 to the Grantsville Sociable for advertising.
The approved grants also included $11,560 to Deseret Peak Softball for advertising; $6,700 to Tooele County Trails for maps and signs; $13,500 to Deseret Peak Complex for marketing; $10,000 to Wendover Airfield for renovation of the officer’s hall; $1,000 to Tooele Applied Technology College to promote an ATV Trail Ride; $2,000 to Grantsville High School Rodeo Team for advertisement and facility rental; $10,000 to Bit ‘n’ Spur for a two-day rodeo event; $13,500 to Sandbag Racing for a demolition derby; and $5,000 to Transcript Bulletin Publishing for printing additional copies of Tooele County magazine to promote tourism.
The tourism tax fund receives revenue from a 1.0 percent tax on food purchased in restaurants and a 3.5 percent tax on lodging in motels and hotels.
State law requires that tourism tax dollars be used to promote tourism or for the maintenance and operation of tourism-related facilities.
The approved 2015 county budget included the anticipated collection of $310,000 in motel and hotel tourism taxes and $450,000 in restaurant taxes, for a combined total of $760,000.
Along with the grants, the tourism fund also pays approximately $130,000 annually towards the bond that paid for the convention center at Deseret Peak Complex.