With Albany and Clinton County located between two large lakes in one of the most beautiful areas in the state, it is no wonder that the tourism industry here is one of importance for revenues to the city and county each year.

In an attempt to increase the tourism and recreation industry and promote the area, Clinton County Judge’s Administrative Assistant Penny Jo Stearns is attempting to get a tourism board created in the county to further promote the area.

Stearns said she first began considering the need for a tourism board when applying through the Lake Cumberland Area Development District for a small $4,000 Flex-e grant through the Appalachian Region Commission (ARC) to fund an internet site to promote the Albany and Clinton County area. Although that grant application was denied, she continued to work on the possibility of forming a Clinton County Tourism Board.

The only way such a seven-member body could be funded to operate, however, would be via a transient tax, or a tax levied on visitors to motels and restaurants in the county. Most of the tax would come from out-of-county tourists who stay at local lodging establishments and patronize local restaurants.

The tax amount, according to Stearns, could be anywhere from one to three percent on the dollar–or for example, one cent on each dollar spent at a restaurant or three cents on each dollar spent on lodging at a motel. In short, anyone spending $10 on a meal would pay a dime for the tax while a $60 per night motel room tax amount would be $1.80.

Stearns said that Clinton County was one of only a couple of counties in Kentucky that currently did not have some type of tourism board.

Such a transient tax, however, would have to be approved by the county’s fiscal court before a board could be put into place–something that apparently has been attempted here in the past and failed.

Should a tourism board be formed, it would be made up of seven members, using KRS guidelines, with the members including a representative from the restaurant business, one from the motel industry, one from the local chamber of commerce and two each appointed by the county’s fiscal court and Albany City Council. Although the city would appoint two members to the board, they are apparently not required to have to vote on whether or not to put on a transient tax.

Stearns believes a tourism board would be highly beneficial to the city and county, with the body’s primary functions being in the area of promoting the area across the rest of the state and the country, letting everyone know about the lakes, recreational opportunities, commerce, and even the industrial opportunities the county has to offer.

The funding of the board would come from the tax and the use of the funds, under state statutes, is limited and cannot be used by either city or county government, but could be used for promoting the aforementioned benefits the city and county has to offer.

Stearns said such a board could also apply for matching type state grants for certain projects.

In an effort to involve the community in the idea, Stearns said she has discussed the possibility of a tourism board with the mayor, the local chamber of commerce and others.

Stearns first briefly outlined her efforts for such a tourism board at the last meeting of Clinton Fiscal Court and apparently intends to present the idea of possibly taking action to implement a transient tax at the next regular meeting on April 16.