Where will the money to pay for it come from?

Renovating the former Brown Furniture building in downtown Gaffney to convert it into a cultural and performing arts center is exactly the type of project the city should fund with its hospitality tax (H-tax) revenue.

Likewise, the upgrading of existing parks and construction of new ones.

Transforming the old Post Office into a visitor's center and visual arts center is another good use of the H-tax money.

I don't believe anyone questions that all of these projects will benefit the city and add to the quality of life for its citizens.

The question is whether or not the H-tax generates enough money to pay for all of them.

Gaffney City council voted against a recommendation Monday night from its building and grounds committee to work with the Gaffney Little Theater, which owns the Brown Furniture property, on the arts center project (See story, Page 1).

The city has committed about $3.5 million to the visitors center project and is spending about $1 million to upgrade existing parks and build new ones.

Councilmen who voted against the proposal want to know where the money to pay for it - $5 million over four years - would come from.

And rightly so.

Mayor Henry Jolly said the money would come from the almost $1 million the city collects annually from the H-tax - a 1 percent tax on prepared foods.

This project and the visitors center are major components of the current downtown revitalization effort. According to the city's planning report, they are "critical for retail success and revitalization downtown. These facilities will bring people downtown on a regular basis and can be a jumpstart for the private sector to invest in new shops and restaurants."

It's all well and good for the mayor to assert that H-tax revenue will pay for the project, but there should be a detailed financial plan to show exactly how it will be done.

During the past weeks, I have interviewed numerous business owners and community leaders for our upcoming special section about the growth of Cherokee County during the past 10 years and what the future holds.

Without exception, they have stressed the importance of a thriving downtown business district to the overall success of any community.

Whether it's the CEO of a major industry looking at potential sites for expansion or a retiree searching for a nice place to live, they all want to see downtown.

A downtown with a bunch of vacant buildings and not much to offer in the way of dining, entertainment and shopping might not be a deal breaker, but one that is vibrant and lively could be a deal maker.

The planning report I referred to earlier has some wonderful ideas for enhancing our downtown, but as the saying goes, "there is no such thing as a free lunch."

Which brings us back to the question of where will the money to pay for it come from?

The report, prepared by The Clemson Institute for Economic and Community Development, spells out exactly what needs to be done to implement the plan.

First, it recommends a steering committee be formed with official representatives from various institutions from the community. The plan outlines the next steps to be taken with detailed precision.

They've provided the road map, so to speak, but now it's up to city council to follow it.

Council agreed to reconsider the recommendation on the performing arts center at a workshop next month.

That would be the perfect time to discuss how the project can be included in the implementation of the entire plan.

The Clemson plan, which the city paid for with a $35,000 grant, was first presented on July 25, 2007. It's been almost seven months and I don't believe the first recommendation - forming a steering committee - has been acted upon.

I fully support the performing arts center, the visitors center and park improvements, but I'd like to see the city follow the Clemson plan in which a steering committee would prioritize projects, create a timeline and develop a budget.

The mayor and council must cast aside their differences long enough to implement this plan or it will be placed on a shelf to gather dust like so many others before it.

Cody Sossamon (cody@gaffneyledger.com) is publisher of The Gaffney Ledger.