Highland officials trim budget requests from local groups

Elizabeth Donald
·2 min read

As city officials reevaluate how they spend hotel/motel tax funds, local organizations are seeing their requests trimmed.

At the June 19 council meeting alone, two of the three requests “took a little haircut,” according to City Manager Chris Conrad.

• The Highland Fire Department requested $500 for the annual Firefighters’ Picnic, its annual fundraiser launched last year on Highland Square. The event is slated for Sept. 30 and includes an antique car show. Their request was approved in full.

• The Highland Chamber of Commerce requested $3,500 for the 2023 Street Art Festival, also slated for Highland Square on Sept. 16, in which “the streets around the downtown square are transformed into a massive canvas,” according to the request documents. Businesses sponsor artists to showcase their diverse abilities with chalk on the asphalt. “After 20 years, Street Art has become one of Highland’s most unique events, bringing in artists and visitors from all over,” the request read.

The event loops in civic clubs such as the Jaycees for the beverage stand; Highland’s BPW Club for children’s activities and the Highland Arts Council, which sponsors the “Michelangelo” square. There is also a Maker’s Market for vendor sales and musical entertainment on the gazebo.

The funding will be aimed at marketing through social media, video, email blasts, digital and print advertising and signage. The request was reduced to $2,500 and approved by the council.

• The Highland Speedway requested $6,000 to assist its rebranding to World Famous Highland Speedway and advertise its six biggest races for the season. Specifically, they plan to pay for a three-segment spot on the Fox daytime Studio STL program, which would include a live segment in Highland. The request was reduced to $5,000 and approved by the council.

The issue of allocating hotel-motel tax funds - intended for events that spur tourism in the city - has come up in recent months after the city allocated all funds budgeted and actually dipped into the reserves. In March, funds for Highland Art on the Park were temporarily put on hold for the debate over how to allocate the funds fairly.

The current projections of hotel-motel tax funds expected is about $45,000 a year. By statute, those dollars can only be used for tourism purposes and cannot be used for general city business or maintenance.