Allocation of $161,000 in TOT funds announced

Budget deliberations for the County of San Diego began a week earlier than expected, allowing for the allocation of Community Enhancement funds to be approved June 22 along with the rest of the county’s 2005-06 budget.

A 4-0 Board of Supervisors vote, with Supervisor Ron Roberts on travel to a California Air Resources Board meeting, approved the allocation of Community Enhancement funds, which are derived from Transient Occupancy Tax revenue collected from lodging facilities in the unincorporated portion of the county. The $3,000,000 allocated for Community Enhancement funds was derived only from unincorporated lodging facilities, although organizations in incorporated cities are also eligible for funding. Fallbrook and Bonsall organizations will receive $161,000 of Community Enhancement funding.

Each supervisor decides how to allocate his or her allotted amount, although the allocations must be ratified by the rest of the board. Supervisors have two discretionary sources of funding, and from time to time the existence of unspent Community Projects funds allows supervisors to fund requested projects through the Community Projects budget rather than with the Community Enhancement funding. Most organizations received less than the amount of Community Enhancement funds they requested, and the amount awarded is not based on the previous year’s funding.

The Fallbrook Food Pantry was the only organization among the ten Fallbrook applicants not to be granted Community Enhancement funds, which are intended to promote tourism and visits to communities. The Fallbrook Food Pantry, which was formerly known as the Fallbrook Community Project, requested $5,000 for a camera and software system for client identification cards, a video projector and screen for group presentations, a laptop computer for off-site communication and countertops.

In addition to the nine Fallbrook organizations, the Bonsall Chamber of Commerce also requested Community Enhancement funds. The Bonsall chamber, which received $8,000 of Community Enhancement funds last year, requested $21,000 of 2005-06 funding and will receive $6,000. The chamber sought the money for a Bonsall Directory, a business expo, a Bonsall clean-up project and a Bonsall Fair.

The Fallbrook Art Association, which received $8,500 of 2004-05 Community Enhancement funds, was allocated the entire $10,000 sought for this year. That money will be used for fine art exhibitions, shows, demonstrations, lectures and workshops as well as college scholarships to Fallbrook Union High School District students and art assist programs for Fallbrook Union Elementary School District students and for Camp Pendleton.

The Fallbrook Chamber of Commerce, which received $82,000 of TOT revenue last year, requested $200,175 for fiscal year 2005-06 and will receive $75,000. That money will be used to fund tourist information, tourist attractions, economic development, referral of county residents to services and Internet reach and presence.

The Fallbrook Gem and Mineral Society, which obtained $3,000 in 2004-05, requested and was allocated the same amount this year. The 2005-06 money will be used for the addition of an ore cart and sign, exhibit cases and a scale model of a fossil mastodon.

The Fallbrook Historical Society did not receive any Community Enhancement money in 2004-05. The organization was allocated $8,000 of its $10,000 request for 2005-06, which will fund bookcases to store oversized reference books and protective covers for existing display cases.

The Fallbrook Land Conservancy Foundation, which received $2,500 last year, asked for $44,000 of 2005-06 funding and will receive $8,000. The foundation sought the money for the Tails on Trails Walk, Stage Coach Sunday, the Firescape Garden, Fallbrook-area trees, Santa Margarita Park and Santa Margarita trails improvements.

The Fallbrook Music Society, which did not receive any 2004-05 funding from TOT revenue, will receive the entirety of its $8,000 request for 2005-06 funds. That money will bring the Hungarian Symphony Orchestra or a substitute international orchestra to Fallbrook for a concert.

The Fallbrook Village Association received $25,000 of last year’s funding and will be allocated $35,000 of the 2005-06 requested amount of $67,000. The Fallbrook Village Association sought the money for two new regional art shows, tourism project implementation, special event design at the Art and Cultural Center, an art demonstration, a retrofit of equipment at the art studios and a junior wildlife exhibit.

The Live Oak Park Coalition, which did not receive any 2004-05 TOT funding, requested $25,000 for the upcoming fiscal year and was allocated $5,000. The organization sought the money to replace the roof on the park’s special events pavilion.

Rally for Children, which did not receive any Community Enhancement funding last year, sought $10,000 in TOT revenue for 2005-06 and was awarded $3,000. That money would be used for the organization’s Arts in the Park program and for philanthropic financial grants to organizations which provide services and growth opportunities to children in Fallbrook and Bonsall.