Fayetteville’s hotel, motel and restaurant (HMR) tax receipts continue to rise this year.
The city has seen record-high monthly HMR collections for each month in 2012, compared to the same months in years past.
A&P receipts reported in July were $214,750, a 4.5 percent increase over the same month last year.
Overall 2012 collections are at $1,443,861 which is a 11.6 percent increase on the year.
Below is a graph and table representing HMR tax collections for the past five years in Fayetteville.
Note: The figures discussed in this post reflect the A&P Commission’s half of the 2 percent tax on hotel and motel stays and food purchases in restaurants. The July report represents June sales.
A&P Funds
Legislation created the Advertising and Promotion Commission in 1977 with the passage of the Hotel, Motel, Restaurant (HMR) tax in Fayetteville. The 2 percent tax is split equally between the city’s Parks and Recreation Department and the A&P Commission. The parks money is used for parks maintenance, operations and for capital improvements. The self-reported numbers do not include retail or liquor sales.
» See recent collection totals
By state legislation, all HMR funds shall be used:
1. for advertising and promoting the city and its environs
2. for the construction, reconstruction, equipment, improvement, maintenance, repair, and operation of a convention center
3. for the operation of tourist promotion facilities in the city
4. for personnel and agencies necessary to conduct the business of the A & P commission
HMR funds can also be used for:
1. for funding the arts
2. for operation of tourist-oriented facilities
3. for construction, reconstruction, repair, maintenance, improvement, equipping and operation of public recreation facilities and for the payment of bonds.
Taxes shall not be used for:
1. general capital improvements within the city
2. costs associated with general operation of the city
3. general subsidy of any civic group or chamber of commerce
Source: Arkansas Code / § 26-75-606 – Use of funds collected
I wonder what those numbers would look like if you took only the dickson street restaurants and graphed/compared them month by month and year after the parking fees were put in place???? Could be interesting Mr. Coody.
Might have to FOIA all that data and compile it yourself, because people (myself included) have been interested in that for two years now, but the city isn’t providing the breakdown. I’m sure it would be a nightmare task.
In any case, this kind of growth is fantastic. H’s, M’s, and R’s are doing great. Now if we could only get a graph mapping the public’s confidence in the A&P commission over the last five years…
I believe the city does keep tabs on HMR collections for the different areas around town, at least since paid parking began. I’ve heard Paul Becker, the city’s finance director, mention the breakdown in City Council agenda-setting sessions.
Unless I’m mistaken, the self-reported numbers in the Dickson Street area took a dip immediately following the implementation of paid parking, but eventually leveled back out.
I’ll look into what it’d take to obtain and publish this info on a regular basis to determine if it’s a task we can add to our list.
And I’ll try to fact check what I stated above.
Awesome! That would be great reporting! Thanks Flyer!
Why are the parking rates different in the downtown area vs Dickson Street?