Despite the economic impact of the COVID-19 public health emergency overall, its effect on advertising and promotion tax revenues has been bearable.
According to the December report from Advertising and Promotion Commission treasurer Joe Wessell presented during the commissionâs January meeting at the Paragould Community Center, the commission retains $159,367.91 for grants to promote the city.
âAs bad as 2020 was,â said at-large commissioner Kimberly Dale, âit was survivable.â Dale chaired the meeting in the absence of chairman Jeremy Biggs.
According to Wessellâs report, the commission received $124,977.60 for 2020, an average of $10,414.80 a month. The revenue was in line with Biggsâ initial 2018 planning projections of $10,000 a month, despite the commissionâs decision at its April 1 meeting to suspend collection of the tax for April, May and June of 2020 due to anticipated fall-off in hotel occupancy as the result of the COVID-19 restri