Councilwoman Linda Kuiper moved successfully Monday to secure $5,000 for Kent County Tourism & Economic Development to promote the War of 1812, Battle of Caulk’s Field Bicentennial Reenactment – scheduled for Aug 31.
The vote was 4-1 with Councilman Marty Stetson voting against.
Kuiper insisted that the $5,000 come from the town’s hotel tax revenue because it comes from tourist dollars and not local taxpayers. The town budgeted $90,000 for hotel tax revenue this year.
The council tabled Kuiper’s request at last week’s meeting following a report from Kent Economic Development Director Bernadette Bowman.
Bowman told the council that she was trying to raise $33,524 to match 50 percent of a $67,048 grant from the state’s Star-Spangled 200 Grant Program, which was set up to help local communities invest in the commemoration of the War of 1812. The other half of the grant will be matched by in-kind donations.
Councilwoman Liz Gross told Kuiper she was not against donating the $5,000 but wanted to be forewarned if someone was going to ask for money.
“It became a surprise to all of us,” Gross said about the Jan. 27 request. “I think we should have some forewarning when expenditures of that size are going to be proposed.”
Kuiper told Gross that she should get use to people asking for money at council meetings.
“It’s not the first time and it’s not going to be the last time.”
Mayor Chris Cerino said having advanced notice was not as important as having a contingency to deal with requests and suggested the creation of a discretionary fund of $20,000.
In the video below the new council engages in their first real debate over money.
Mauritz "Marty" Stetson " says
Editor,
I was not voting against the donation but the procedure, the amount should be looked at when we do the budget. Mrs. Bowman said she was fine with waiting for the money. The funny thing is that Linda is the one that always finds fault in the budget procedure, unless it is something she wants. She talks about it coming out of the hotel tax, if looked at in the overall spending we spend more on tourists\ related expenses than that which we receive from the hotel tax.
Member
Chestertown Town Council
Don Cantor says
Editor,
I believe the headline word “haggle” misconstrues a constructive discussion on the subject of organizational budgeting. With all due respect to our new mayor, I do hope we as a town think twice before going down a road of “discretionary” funding. In my experience it compromises the budget process and can be abused ( all for noble reasons). Instead lets consider tough choices of prioritizing things that we can do without if this is deemed an important project for the town to support.
Keith Thompson says
Editor,
I think what is being lost in the debate here is the suggestion that the $5,000 to help with the funding of the Caulk’s Field reenactment should be coming from the town’s hotel tax. My understanding is that the primary reason for the hotel tax is use as a funding mechanism exclusively for marketing the town, and is funding that is coming primarily from visitors staying in Chestertown rather than directly from the Chestertown residents. In other words, the money from the hotel tax should not go into the town’s general fund and should not be a part of the town’s general budgeting, even as a contingency fund. The money from the hotel tax should be earmarked exclusively for marketing the town which is precisely what the $5,000 contribution to Caulk’s Field does since the reenactment should result in more visitors paying the hotel tax.