With nearly $800,000 of taxpayer money in the bank, the county’s tourism bureau wants to spend about half to open an office in downtown Franklin.
The spending plan has been approved by the Johnson County Council, but three council members are questioning the lack of a detailed spending plan, the cost of 3D exhibits and the project overall and whether opening a tourism center is the best use of the money.
The Johnson County Convention, Visitors and Tourism Commission is funded by the innkeeper’s tax, which is a 5 percent tax charged on local motel and hotel stays, and calls itself Festival Country Indiana. It is operated by an appointed board and a hired director. Those leaders asked the county council to OK spending $400,000 to open a tourism center in an existing office downtown. The remaining $260,000 in cash reserves would continue to be saved, said Kenneth Kosky, director of tourism for Festival Country Indiana.
The proposed center would open at 66 S. Water St., Franklin, which is owned by the city. The county would pay $500 monthly rent on the space for about four and a half years. The center would host 3-D exhibits and offices for the commission staff.
The council approved the plan with a 5-1 vote. Council member Joshua Turner was absent.
Jonathan T. Myers voted against spending the money on a center, and said he would rather the money be used to help clean up hotels in Greenwood to make the county safer for visitors, he said.
“What really causes me pause is the trouble in Greenwood with the three hotels that are receiving a lot of attention from law enforcement,” Myers said.
Council member Rob Henderson noted that $400,000 seems like a lot of money to be used for 3D exhibits and minor construction costs on the building, but voted to approve the spending because the commission had been responsible stewards of money and he supported the innkeeper’s tax for tourism efforts, he said. Josh McCarty said that the commission is getting a favorable lease rate, but he would like to see more detailed plans for the money from the commission.
For example, of the $400,000 budget, it is unclear how much will be spent on any interior office remodeling or 3D exhibits. The space is attached to Franklin City Hall.
The commission is not planning to spend the entire amount on the tourism center, but needed the entire allocation to be able to seek bids and proposals for the exhibits and construction work and to sign the lease with the city, Kosky said.
“We are under no obligation nor do we want to spend the entire amount,” he said.
The money is for all projects involving getting the visitor’s center open by January. Uses for the money include putting together the 3D exhibits which could include a slide to promote water slides or a large apple that could promote apple orchards in the county. Rotating exhibits will also be built to help showcase the hundreds of businesses involved in tourism in the county, Kosky said.
Money is also needed on construction costs to turn the building’s kitchen into a second bathroom and to build office space and a conference room in the building and to make the building ADA compliant for visitors, he said.
Additionally, the money would be used to buy an exterior sign for the office, racks and displays for brochures and to buy furniture, as the commission currently has none, Kosky said.
Any money that is not used would go towards other projects, such as a grand opening celebration for the tourism center or walking tours, he said.
