April 30, 2023
By: Dwayne Page
The Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce is asking for more financial support from the City of Smithville and the County.
Chamber Director Suzanne Williams addressed the Smithville Mayor and Aldermen Monday night, April 24 at a budget workshop asking for a $10,000 increase in the city’s annual contribution to the Chamber, which if approved would go from $15,000 to $25,000. Williams also addressed the county budget committee on Monday, April 3 asking for a $35,000 increase. The county currently contributes $25,000 annually to the Chamber. If the request is approved, the funding would go to $60,000. The Chamber, a non-profit organization, was established to promote local economic development and tourism and it is governed by a board of directors and officers. Three years ago, the county raised its annual contribution to the Chamber from $17,500 to $25,000. The Chamber is also supported by membership dues and fundraisers.
Chamber Director Williams said DeKalb County’s Chamber remains one of the lowest funded in the state and could use the extra money to support its budget and mission. In addition to promoting DeKalb County and raising funds for the Chamber Williams said she also spends much of her time writing and administering grants for the county among other tasks. She also added that tourism in DeKalb County grew by 30% in 2021 and ranks third among the 14 Upper Cumberland Counties behind Putnam and Cumberland.
The following is a summary of her remarks to the Mayor and Aldermen last week.
“I spend a lot of time and effort into grants. The grants are on a 2-year cycle, but these grant dollars have a huge impact on our tourism dollars. Some of the grant examples include the billboards on Interstate 40 promoting the Fiddlers Jamboree and Center Hill Lake, $7,000 grant for a PBS National Show for the Jamboree last year, 3 downtown murals, hanging lights in the alley, printed materials, etc. These are just some of the things funded by the grants. I focus on projects that positively impact our local people and attract visitors. The grants have an impact on Smithville as well as the additional funds I had to raise in grant matches and the city contributed $1,000 for the mural match. With the grant matches, the Chamber was able to bring over $200,000 to projects within the city,” said Williams.
“The 2023 grants already awarded this year amount to $33,400. Other grants I will be applying for in 2023 include $150,000 for the downtown Smithville revitalization. I will be reapplying for the $7,000 Jamboree national program, and $3,600 Jamboree billboard which will be for next year. I will also be adding other (grants) as they become available. I focus on projects that positively impact our local people and attract visitors,” she said.
Developed in 1980, the state’s Three-Star Program is designed to help communities take full advantage of economic development opportunities.
“Three Star is hugely important,” said Williams. “The Chamber has kept the City of Smithville and the whole county Three Star certified for 25 years and it is a lot of work. You could have a part time person just doing that job. Without certification, the city could not apply for most of the grants including the Community Development Block Grants. Having Three Star certification means you also get bonuses and discounts when you are awarded a grant. For example, the City of Smithville paid $51,645 less on its CDBG sewer grant match because Smithville is a Three Star community made possible through the Chamber,” Williams continued.
“I actively serve on 19 boards and committees including 5 workforce development committees, so I have a lot of meetings. The Chamber organizes industry round table meetings with our local industries and state partners, and we have been working closely with our newest industry coming to town which will be located in the former Foutch Industries building and is scheduled to be up and going around the first of June. Annually I attend several conferences on training. The Governor’s Conference on Economic and Community Development is one of the requirements for being a Three Star community. You have to go to that or else you won’t be certified for Three Star and the Chamber covers the cost of that conference. We do all the things you would expect the chamber to do. We also oversee the Leadership DeKalb program which starts back up in September, and we organize several events,” Williams said.
“DeKalb County has the 3rd highest tourism dollars in the 14 county Upper Cumberland region behind the much larger Cumberland and Putnam counties. The latest figures show $32 million in direct spending from our tourists and that is a 30% increase from the previous year. Overnight tourists paid $1.1 million in local taxes and since I have served as Chamber Director, we have never gone backward in tourism dollars. Even in 2020, DeKalb tourism dollars were up 3.7% from the previous year and out of the 95 Tennessee counties only 15 increased in tourism dollars and DeKalb County was one of them. Out of the 15 counties in the Upper Cumberland region, only 2 had an increase in tourism numbers and DeKalb County was one of the two. Compared to what a neighboring county (Chamber) receives from their city, the City of Sparta contributes $30,000 to the White County Chamber and White County’s tourism dollars are about one third of ours in DeKalb County. Smith County has $10 million in tourism dollars, and they (county) give their Chamber $42,500. Clay County gets $4.76 million in tourism dollars and their Chamber gets from them (county) over $140,000. The Clay County Chamber gets all the county’s hotel/motel tax including a tax on houseboat rentals. Our Chamber this year will be getting some ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds but those are going for tourism projects,” said Williams.
In her remarks to both City and County, Williams said “Based on what I have submitted, I would humbly request that you (city) consider investing $25,000 annually to the Chamber and that you (county) invest $60,000. I am not asking for a donation. This is an investment. Any more you put toward the Chamber, you get it back in grants alone or Three Star savings. This (request) is not for my salary. My salary will not change by one penny. This increase would go straight to the budget to better serve you and the City of Smithville and DeKalb County,” said Williams.