Funding debate could lead Visit York County to merge with Rock Hill. What would it mean?
Some leaders say they want to keep York County’s long-time tourism agency, but that may not matter if they don’t provide funding.
Billy Dunlap, president of Visit York County, told York County Council on Monday night that his staff is in favor of joining the Rock Hill Parks, Recreation & Tourism department. The Visit York County board of directors voted several months back and then again in a separate vote last week to make the move.
The county recently got an email from the Visit York County board chair stating intentions. Dunlap said the board is split but the majority sees Rock Hill as the best option.
“Our preference is to merge with Rock Hill PRT because it gives us stable funding on an annual basis,” Dunlap said. “That was the sole reason that we even looked at that option.”
For years the group was funded through the hospitality tax, charged on food and drink in unincorporated areas. So along with large-draw events in Rock Hill there was considerable promotion of farm events in western York County, fishing events on Lake Wylie and festivals across the county.
Dunlap said discussions with Rock Hill indicate the city would have his organization operate much as it does now.
“York County would get marketing services,” he said. “York, Clover, Tega Cay, Fort Mill, all of those municipalities would get marketing services as well.”
Those promotional services would align with funding. This fiscal year York County contributes $77,000 to Visit York County. Clover puts in $6,000, compared to $110,000 for Rock Hill. Fort Mill, Tega Cay and York also contribute.
Dunlap’s group would still work to attract events outside of Rock Hill. He doesn’t know yet if a name change would accompany the switch.
“It’s basically going to be who participates in funding,” Dunlap said. “If the entire county participates in funding, then it’ll have to have some sort of regional name to it.”
York County funding
Dunlap arrived in 2018 when the county paid most of the agency’s $1.2 million annual budget. His group since has lost about $1.1 million of that county funding, Dunlap said. Other revenue sources are in place now for what is about a $1.9 million budget.
A funding agreement when Dunlap arrived had the county contributing $750,000-$1.2 million annually for five years, Dunlap said. Council abolished that agreement less than six months after it began, he said. In recent years, council continued to gradually cut funds.
Councilman Joel Hamilton said it appears some on his group want something for free. On Monday night the group discussed a roughly $20,000 contribution to Visit York County.
“That’s nothing,” Hamilton said. “If we’ve taken their funding from $750,000 to $300,000 to zero recently. This council placed so little value on your efforts that we decided it wasn’t worth us funding. But now no one wants to give it up.”
The biggest funding change came when council opted to route most of the hospitality tax dollars to the new Riverbend Park project. The purchase, development and operations of that site will sap years of hospitality tax revenue.
Councilman Tom Audette said capital projects like Riverbend are the best use of hospitality tax dollars. He said he supports accommodations tax money, charged on overnight stays, to fund Visit York County.
“That to me is the direction the revenue should be pointed in,” Audette said.
Councilwoman Allison Love said the funding debate has been ongoing for years and she understands why council members from Rock Hill would support funding the group. Love said she doesn’t trust all the hospitality figures the group generates. She said her district of Lake Wylie and Clover doesn’t see the same benefit Rock Hill does.
“There are those of us that are looking at this from a different viewpoint,” Love said.
Some council members who voted to cut funding in recent years point to Dunlap’s ability to generate new revenue. When he arrived, two municipalities paid into his group. Now five do. Dunlap also created a destination marketing fee where hotels charge a voluntary 2% that Dunlap’s group uses to promote those hotels and nearby attractions.
“All of the hotels are in Rock Hill or Fort Mill,” Dunlap said.
Last year the fee generated about $350,000 in Rock Hill and $180,000 in Fort Mill.
Rock Hill has its own hospitality and accommodations taxes to fund tourism and capital projects within the city.
Rural events, venues
David Roberts, past Visit York County chairman, is in his seventh year on the board. He said the last $300,000 cut led to the discussion about Rock Hill PRT.
His board is most concerned with protecting jobs and benefits of the seven staff members. Roberts is against merging with Rock Hill, if the county can provide funding. Not all tourism, he said, happens in Rock Hill.
“Rock Hill has all the facilities...,” Roberts said. “But they don’t have Lake Wylie or they don’t have Bush-N-Vine. They don’t have Brattonsville. There’s other things. If we go to the City of Rock Hill, I’m concerned we’re looking at this as the City of Rock Hill taking care of the county. I think it should be the other way around.”
Brown Simpson also sits on the board. He also is parks and recreation director in Fort Mill. It’s been a tough and frustrating few years for Visit York County, but Brown also would like to remain under county control.
“If you want this to be a vibrant organization, give us some consistent funding in the long-run for years that will make this the best organization we can have it be, that represents all of York County,” Simpson said.
Area attractions work together, like Windy Hill Orchard and others that get a boost when Rock Hill brings in a large crowd.
“They benefit every weekend,” Simpson said.
Long-term funding
Visit York County now is bidding on events for 2025-26. Dunlap points to a Major League Fishing event on Lake Wylie two weeks ago. That event was booked three years ago on a $50,000 bid, he said. That money was part of the lost funding his group had to find to keep the event.
“This organization cannot operate on a year-to-year basis,” Dunlap said. “The issue that we have is consistent funding going forward.”
A merger with Rock Hill could provide more stable funding, he said. It also would mean the loss of his board.
While Dunlap said countywide events and attractions would remain a focus, he also understands Rock Hill would continue to get a considerable amount of tourism attention.
“It will be to some extent but right now we’re Rock Hill PRT focused,” Dunlap said. “I mean let’s face it. They’ve got all the facilities.”
Rock Hill has its sports and event center. It has Cherry Park and Manchester Meadows, and world class cycling and BMX facilities. The Carolina Panthers headquarters will include an event venue.
“If others areas want the monumental attractions, they’re going to have to build them,” said Councilman William “Bump” Roddey. “If other areas want those advertising dollars to be poured into those areas, they’re going to have to have the facilities....”
Roddey said a merger with Rock Hill should be the last option and he’d hate to lose what York County has become. A destination county, Roddey said, not just a destination city.
“We’ve put a lot of money into this branding over the years,” Roddey said. “We put a lot of money into building Visit York County.”
Councilman Robert Winkler said the county put Visit York County in a bind. He voted against funding cuts, he said, to avoid the decision now at hand.
“Every time I’ve made a motion to try to keep the funding whole, it’s been voted down,” Winkler said. “So I’m glad to hear that we’re finally wanting to talk about how to keep their funding solid. I’m open to any suggestion, because I’ve run out of ideas for my part.”
Hamilton also voted to maintain funding but, with council decisions thus far, believes Rock Hill could now be the better option.
“In my mind this council already made that decision when we voted to cut funding to zero,” Hamilton said. “We already told the community what we thought of (Visit York County) when we decided to cut the funding to zero.”
Dunlap understands how important a decision faces his group.
“This is a critical decision for this organization,” he told council Monday night. “This organization lives and dies, potentially, with this decision that you’re talking about tonight.”
There are advantages to partnerships with the city and county, but those county advantages alone can’t make up what’s become a wide financial gap.
“It all revolves around funding,” Dunlap said.
