The Monticello Tourist Commission met in special session Tuesday afternoon with
Chairperson Vicki Davis and commissioners Charity Ramsey, Dylan Jones, Matthew
Bertram, and Maria Hopper present, along with Director Todd McFarland.
On McFarland’s recommendation, commissioners agreed to pay $15,000 to cover 100
percent of the costs of the annual July 4 fireworks show at the Wayne County Fair. The cost is
normally split between city and county governments.
Commissioners also approved McFarland’s recommendation to spend up to $75,000 for stage and
a country music act for the annual Fall Fest
The commission also approved the Director’s recommendation to enter into a
sponsorship agreement with FOX 56 TV station for “Life, Liberty,
and the Lake” event on June 17 at Conley Bottom Resort in the amount of $6,000.
The May finance report showed April restaurant tax collections totaled $69,386, while
April expenditures totaled $32,260.
McFarland also presented an adjusted 2025-2026 budget and a proposed 2026-2027
budget. Among the larger proposed increases were payroll, which rises from $30,000
to $60,000 because the position was just a half year in the current budget, software and website hosting, increasing from $1,500 to $5,694; marketing, increasing from $40,000 to $70,000; sponsorship category increasing from $46,000 to $125,000; and director discretionary spending, which increases from $12,000 to $15,000. A new item in the proposed budget is the AJ Lloyd project at
$75,000. Several categories were reduced, including trade and travel expenses from
$42,075 to $30,000, events from $128,441 to $125,000, and capital investments from
$450,000 to $250,000. The adjusted 2025-2026 budget totals $764,099.57, while the
proposed 2026-2027 budget totals $764,000. The budget was simply presented at this
meeting, with no action taken.
Finally, McFarland presented a brand strategy and creative concepts estimate
prepared for the tourism commission by David Coomer in the amount of $44,700. No
action was taken on the proposal.