TDA budget exceeds $1.5 million

ASHEBORO — With hotel occupancy taxes on the rise, the Randolph County Tourism Development Authority Board of Directors approved a budget of $1.52 million, an increase of $433,485 over the current year.

The TDA board approved the budget on May 17 after a public hearing. 

Primary revenues come from the 5 percent occupancy tax from Randolph County hotels, amounting to some $1.29 million. Other sources are $220,000 from the NC Department of Transportation for management of the I-73/74 Visitor Centers and an estimated $10,000 from interest income.

Expenditures include $711,956 for marketing, $539,544 for personnel and $127,500 for operations. Another $21,000 is tourism related.

Finance Officer Will Massie said this about the increase in the budget: “The FY24 Budget is reflective of the recovery of local tourism and business travel that was seen in 2022-23. Occupancy taxes for next year were budgeted at expected current actual FY23 collections, which was significantly higher than expected in the original FY23 budget. This will allow greater marketing efforts and staffing than the past several years.”

The budget goes into effect on July 1.