Pender County questions Burgaw’s claim for full amount of occupancy tax

PENDER COUNTY, NC (WWAY-TV) – Tourism dollars generate lots of monies for counties and with tourism growing in Pender County, the town of Burgaw wants to keep all of the funds their occupancy taxes generate.

“I don’t know anybody coming from Ohio or New York or wherever they come from up north to come down to go to Burgaw,” said Brent Springer, Pender County Commissioner.

Springer didn’t mince words when it comes to the biggest tourist draw in Pender County.

“I think that they probably come down to go to Surf City at the beach,” Springer said.

Springer is responding to Burgaw mayor, Olivia Dawson’s desire to keep the town tax revenues local.

“Tourism in Burgaw has changed over the last couple years just because we’re a growing small town and everybody likes the small town feel,” Dawson said.

She said the town has seen a major uptick in tourism with event’s like The Blueberry Festival, Christmas parade and a growing variety of restaurants and businesses on Courthouse Square.

“We just are inviting folks to come and visit and that it what stimulates our economy that is what keeps our small businesses in place,” Dawson said.

The county said in 2021, more than $200 million flowed into Pender County from tourism. Dawson claims it has helped generate a portion of that revenue. In November, the town unanimously passed a resolution to keep the full 6% of its occupancy tax which it shares half of with the county.

“This was set up 25 years ago at this point and so it just hasn’t changed and it was working there for a little while and now that we’ve had so much growth in Pender County and throughout North Carolia it’s just real important that we do things differently now,” Dawson said.

Dawson said it’s the only municipality that shares half of its occupancy tax with Pender County. Springer is challenging the town to come up with more evidence for why it needs the full amount of occupancy tax.

“Show the board where these zip codes are coming from out of Pender County and often I’ve heard, that’s why we need it, is to bring those people here, but we’ve been doing this for years,” Springer said.

Dawson said the 3% would  be put toward attracting new visitors through marketing and sustaining its new growth.

“It’s not a lot of money that we’re asking to keep, it just means that the county can continue to do what they are doing, but then we have a little money, more money to do what we see best,” Dawson said.

Springer said the amount isn’t small and the board may not be as willing to give it up.

“Now when we take it or when the board decides to retain it, you know, three percent is a big deal,” Springer said.

Dawson said the town has sent the resolution to their state representatives and hopes the bill will be included in the county’s short-session in April.