Organizations seeking a share the revenue generated by the Ocracoke occupancy tax should drop off their request packets no later than March 1 at the front desk of the Ocracoke Library.

Five copies of each request should be included in the packet.

The Ocracoke Occupancy Tax Board is set to conduct its appropriations meeting on the 2018-2019 fiscal year at 7 p.m. at the Ocracoke Community Center.

Hyde County has a 3-percent occupancy tax rate, meaning it collects $3 on every $100 spent on commercial lodging in the county. The county must spend 90 percent of the hotel-tax revenue generated on Ocracoke only for the direct benefit of Ocracoke. The same policy applies to such revenue generated on mainland Hyde County.

The Ocracoke Tourism Development Authority, by law, must spend two-thirds of the hotel-tax revenue it receives to promote travel and tourism. The other one-third may be spent on tourism-related expenditures.

The Hyde County budget for this fiscal year shows estimated expenses for tourism-related purposes at $297,717, while estimated expenses for tourism-related purposes on the mainland at $6,500.

“The help the board recommend funding on an equitable bases, your requests just include current, detailed (reader friendly) and consistent information. Please note that action on funding requests may be delayed or not acted upon if the following information is not submitted by the March 1 deadline,” reads a document concerning the requests.

All requests should include the following:

• Single page summary of the project identifying the use of funds and amount requested.
• Completed checklist of requested information.
• Detailed estimate as to the “use of funds” with a description/itemization of how the funds will be used (specific project) and estimated “line item costs.” All advertising and promotional costs should be listed as a separate line item.
• Time line as to when funds will be needed (from July 1 to June 30; this is the occupancy tax budget year).
• Current (no older than 90 days) balance sheet of the organization that reflects the cash and investment position of the organization to include all assets and liabilities.
• Prior year’s profit and loss statement or cash flow statement (funds in and cash out) that reflects the use of any Occupancy Tax funds (description of use and amount).
• Budget (profit and loss or cash flow statement) for the year the occupancy tax funds are requested to include an explanation (identify by line item) as to the amount of the occupancy tax funds requested. The grant request amount should be identified so as to be considered along with other budgeted items of the organization.
• Such other information that the requesting organization feels would benefit the

Occupancy Tax Board relative to the request (matching funds issues etc.).

“It is not the intent of the Ocracoke Occupancy Tax Board to make the process of applying for funding burdensome. We do need detailed and consistent information from the requesting organizations in order to responsibly fulfill our task of making recommendations for funding to the County Commissioners,” reads the document.