COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo .– City council held its first regular meeting in newly renovated City Hall rooms, and its first main agenda was a debate on how the city uses its lodging tax and car rental (LART).

The tax on hotel, motel and vehicle rentals funds dozens of groups, organizations and events that use the money for a variety of purposes – from parades and projects to neighborhood festivals.

A citizens’ committee evaluates the applications and decides who is eligible for funding; $ 7.7 million is expected to be allocated next year.

The Council initially planned to pass the matter by consent, that is, without discussion; however, City Councilor Yolanda Avila challenged the nomination process.

Avila, whose neighborhood is the southeast of the city, said her neighborhood is often overlooked for LART funds compared to other events and other areas of the city.

“I asked for $ 40,000 at a cultural event and I only got $ 10,000,” she said. “It’s barely enough to cover the cost of hosting the event. And then there was last year’s fireworks that were scattered all over the city. The southeast side was the only place that was not included. “

Some board members said that by definition LART’s revenue can only be used for events that attract more tourists from out of town and out of state.

“A group in my district asked for money and didn’t get it,” said Councilor Wayne Williams. “It’s part of the process and people need to know how it works.”

However, during public comments, several citizens called with examples of cultural events that attract their share of tourists from out of town.

Avila received support from some council members, but in the end the council voted 7-2 to approve the allocations – with Avila and Councilor Bill Murray opposed.

Nonetheless, the discussion can lead to changes in the application and decision process.

A member of the LART committee who phoned in his comments said: “There is a significant lack of awareness about what we do and how we do it.”

But another member of the committee said: “This is a difficult question. We take requests seriously, but we still have work to do. We can and must do better.