Geneva weighs supporting history museum with hotel taxes

Aldermen are considering whether the city can afford to provide $45,000 or more per year to the Geneva History Museum, using revenue from the hotel motel tax.

Executive Director Terry Emma said she was heartened that city officials are considering financial support for the museum.

"The museum has been around since the 1940s and this is the first time we have been a part of the city's budget discussion," Emma said. "We are so grateful and excited at the prospect."

A majority of aldermen on Monday reached a consensus to have the city staff add the expense when it does a full budget presentation at the Jan. 24 meeting.

"It doesn't get spent if the revenues don't come in," City Administrator Stephanie Dawkins said.

The only external organization that gets city funding is the Geneva Chamber of Commerce, Dawkins said.

Within state statutes governing the city as a non-home-rule community, Geneva gives three-fifths of its hotel motel tax to the Geneva Chamber of Commerce, about $160,000 per year, Dawkins said, which the chamber uses to promote tourism.

"The statutes are construed against the non-home-rule community - they don't give us a lot of leeway," Dawkins said. "The hotel motel tax is limited to promote tourism and conventions, nonresident overnight visitors."

The city uses the remaining two-fifths of the hotel motel tax, about $90,000, for tourism, such as overtime for police and public works during festivals and processing special event applications, among other tasks, Dawkins said.

First Ward Alderman Tara Burghart said other municipalities support their local museums and urged that Geneva do the same.

"I do feel like it's a real gem for us and something unique that offers another activity in our downtown area that is really mostly focused on shopping and dining," Burghart said. "I think as a city that relies on so much history and heritage, that they're a really important partner in maintaining that history and heritage for us."

Fourth Ward Alderman Amy Mayer questioned whether 20% of the hotel motel tax was appropriate to give the museum.

"I don't have enough information about this coming year's budget to really say where I'm at with it," Mayer said. "The museum is a great resource for residents, but I don't think it brings people to Geneva."