ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM) – The Chemung County Legislature is distributing nearly $2.1 million in federal and county tax dollars to boost tourism and attractions.
About $1.7 million is coming from the Covid-19 American Rescue Plan. The projects at the Tanglewood Nature Center, the John W. Jones Museum and the former Elmira Civil War Prison Camp were first approved last year. On Monday, the legislature approved amendments regarding the specific spending of each contract. The total dollar amounts did not change.
Nearly $400,000 is coming from the money raised by the County from the motel & hotel room tax. Those funds will also go to several non-profit attractions that are involved in promoting tourism.
“The focus is supposed to be on non-profits that are involved in tourism, period. That’s the idea of the funding that is provided,” said Mark Margeson, Chair of the Chemung County Legislature. “The funding that is provided, the way we talked about it is that we wanted to promote tourism. Go out and advertise tourism, promote tourism, get more people to come to the community.”
The bulk of the money, $240,000, is going to the Chemung County Chamber of Commerce. The money was discussed in a budget committee meeting on June 3rd.
“Not to pick on the Chamber by any means, but just to see where all the advertising money is going?” said County Legislator Lawana Morse, who represents the towns of Catlin and Veteran. “What kind of metrics are using to gauge your success, so we know if they are the bang for the buck?”
“Some of it is distributed to other organizations through the chamber,” Margeson answered. But I don’t see any reason why we couldn’t get a performer of where the funds are spent and what’s going on. I’ll be more than happy to contact them and find out.”
“This is one of the things that as long as I’ve been a legislator, we talk about every year. Is the Chamber doing what it’s supposed to?” said Legislator Joseph Brennan, who represents the Town of Horseheads, Village of Horseheads and Big Flats.
“The problem is, A, it’s difficult to gauge whether marketing dollars are truly bringing in anything new that you wouldn’t get anyways, and B, the Chamber is kind of the only horse in town. There’s nobody else that’s doing this kind of work to my knowledge,” Brennan added.
The Eldridge Park Carousel Preservation Society is getting $30,000. The County Agriculture Society is getting $25,000. Elmira’s Tanglewood Nature Center & Museum is getting $20,000.
The Town of Horseheads is getting $13,000 for a BMX competition. The National Soaring Museum, the Clemens Center, Elmira Downtown Development, the Friends of the Chemung River, and the “Town of Erin Recreation and Park Commission” are getting $10,000 each.
Community Arts of Elmira, the Chemung County Historical Society, and the Horseheads Historical Society are also getting several thousand dollars.
The $5,000 approved for the Horseheads Historical Society came after the Legislature amended a change proposed by County Executive Chris Moss. Legislature Chair Mark Margeson said Executive Moss removed $2,500 in funding for the Horseheads Historical Society after funding was approved in committee that designates where the hotel room tax money goes. Mr. Margeson said he could not provide an answer why.
“I’m happy remind the members of the legislature this is a recommendation from the committee. This body has the final say and who gets the money. Remember the legislature controls the money,” said Legislature Vice Chairman Thomas Sweet.
Mr. Sweet had also requested $2,500 for the Horseheads Hitmen baseball team. The funding was denied by the committee assigning the funds. Mr. Margeson, who is part of the that committee, said the “people in the room weren’t familiar with the Hitman enough to say that they brought in tourism dollars.” Mr. Margeson added “we also have another baseball team in our area,” a reference to the Elmira Pioneers who also play in the summer collegiate league.
The Budget Committee then amended Mr. Moss’s amendment to remove the funding for the Horseheads Historical Society. The Budget Committee then voted to approve $5,000 in funding.
The County Legislature also approved amendments to federal dollars being distributed from the Covid-19 American Rescue Plan. The County Clerk told 18 News the amendments involved the specifics of how the funds will be spent on each project. The total dollar amounts did not change.
The legislature approved an amendment for the $1,000,000 awarded to the Tanglewood Nature Center to build a “canopy walkway.”
The John W. Jones Museum is getting $350,000 in ARP funding to build a “multi-functional annex to the museum which will substantially increase the number of people who can visit at one time.”
The former Elmira Civil War Prison Camp is getting $350,000 in ARP funding for the construction of the “Elmira Civil War Heritage Center.” The camp’s museum is also building a partial replica of the prison’s former stockade wall.
You can read the full agenda from the June 10th full legislative meeting here.
You can watch the June 3rd Budget Committee meeting below:
