Now that the 3 percent sales tax on hotels and restaurants for tourism, parks and recreation has been passed, Columbia is beginning to initialize its plans for how the funds will be used.
The big item that has dominated the conversation has been the proposed sports complex, but that is only one part of the plan. Mayor Justin McKenzie said Columbia has had no real budget for promoting its assets like the Marion County Museum & Archives, Marion County Recreational Railroad and Expo Center, and that is an area that will be addressed.
It will also make other improvements around town, including to playground equipment at both Duckworth and City Park. Columbia will also promote different events such as Freedom Fest, the Christmas celebration and New Year’s Eve and improve them.
He added there has already been some momentum over the past year with four new businesses near the courthouse on Main Street alone, and the city wants to build on it.
“I think as long as we continue to see this investment in our downtown area that we’ll continue to see buildings become a little more in demand, and we’ll see a restaurant and other some things follow suit. That will really bring back to life our downtown area,” he said.
While a lot of the discussion surrounding the sportsplex has centered around improving youth athletics and the financial repercussions of hosting major tournaments, McKenzie said the city also wants it to be a place for the community to network and come together. He added he feels pretty confident that the facility will open within 24 months.
“It will be something we will be excited to leave our town, go to others and brag about,” he said.
During the city’s next aldermen meeting, the plan is to accept an estimate to do environmental studies on two locations for the sports complex. There have been concerns raised about the location on RA Johnson Drive not being big enough, so they want to check on it and another spot.
McKenzie said the city also wants to either build more tennis courts or remodel the currents ones at City Park, where all four high schools in Marion County play.
While aldermen will have the final say on how the funds will be spent, McKenzie said there are a lot of people involved in the plans. He said he has an advisory committee of 11 leaders in different fields who he goes to for input. He also said the city wants to work with the Marion County Board of Supervisors on any big-ticket items.
The tax is expected to begin on July 1, and the city would start getting back its portion in September.
Estimates are for the tax to generate about $750,000 per year, and McKenzie said the city plans to be careful about getting into any contract that would leave it with long-term debt without having the resources to pay it off.
“We don’t want to go into this recklessly. We don’t want to go into any of these improvements or any investment we’re trying to make without careful consideration,” he said. “We want to have a long-term lasting effect on our community in a positive way. We want them to be smart, well-informed decisions.”
