The Wood County Economic Development Commission (WCEDC) is asking for Hotel/Motel Occupancy Tax (“HOT”) fund project proposals to consider for funding support for the 2021-2022 fiscal year. Projects must meet the following criteria: directly enhance and promote tourism and the hotel/ motel industry in Wood County; fit into one of the six statutorily provided categories for expenditure of local hotel occupancy tax revenues under the State of Texas Tax Code Chapter 352; demonstrate need; and have the potential to attract a maximum number of tourists to Wood County. Guidelines and Funding Request Forms are available through the WCEDC office. The forms provide examples of the types of projects that may be funded and can be obtained on the WCEDC website at woodcountytx.com and contacting the WCEDC office at 903-768-2402 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
“Projects that benefit just one area of Wood County may be given lesser priority whereas projects that generate more overnight visitors to the county may be given greater priority,” said Christophe Trahan, Executive Director of WCEDC. “Successful proposals will clearly show how they plan to attract overnight visitors to Wood County, Texas.” For projects that have been around for a while, Trahan said “survey data will be necessary in determining the merits of the project for funding support. New projects should include a good brief business plan and marketing strategy for bringing overnight visitors to Wood County. This assists us in determining the economic value of results generated and required local and state reporting of the distribution of Wood County HOT funds.” “To ensure that Wood County’s HOT funds are being adequately utilized and generating the intended return on investment, the bar for qualifying projects will be higher this year than it has ever been before,” said Trahan. “Projects should support the lodging establishments in the county as that is where these funds are generated from—‘heads in beds’. More ‘heads in beds’ means additional HOT revenue and the opportunity to fund more projects the following year.” The deadline for submitting applications has been set for 5 p.m. on June 28, 2021. Applications may be mailed to the WCEDC office at P.O. Box 578, Quitman, TX 75783 or by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Applications may also be delivered to the WCEDC office located at the Wood County Airport Terminal located on County Road 2355 between Quitman and Mineola. The WCEDC Promotions Committee will review funding requests and forward recommendations for consideration and budget approval to the Commission’s Board of Directors at the regularly scheduled monthly meeting in July. For information, contact Christophe Trahan at 903-768-2402 or by email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
