Board approves tourism grant awards; committee to review $5,502 audit delta

The Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee presented a revised scoring matrix and recommended tourism grant awards that the Board of Commissioners approved on Jan. 26.

Committee members described a 1‑to‑5 scoring rubric across factors such as tourism impact, economic benefit, marketing alignment and organizational capacity. Rugger Fest ranked highest and received near‑full funding; other awards went to recurring events and organizations including Mara (sports tournaments), the Matthews Playhouse and the Matthews Chamber festival events. Two or three applicants received no award because applications lacked sufficient projections or supporting backup.

Town Manager Malia James said an updated FY24 audit raised the available allocation by about $5,502 (from $94,730 to $100,232), and the board authorized the committee to return with recommendations for distributing the additional funds by March 23. Commissioners voted to approve the committee’s recommended baseline awards so applicants could be notified promptly.

Commissioners emphasized transparency in scoring and encouraged staff to return evaluations and feedback to applicants that received no award.