2 days ago
TDA director up for a raise; touts success of hotel tax
Wendy Bryan, who was hired to be the executive director of Sanford's Tourism and Development Authority in 2020, is up for a raise.
Bryan has usually been given one-year terms, but this year a three-year term is proposed, she said.
The item will be considered by the TDA Board, which is appointed by the city council, at its June 11 meeting.
Bryan's current salary is $66,500. Her proposed contract is $70,000, which represents a 5.2% increase.
She noted that her position and TDA activities are funded by a 3-cent hotel occupancy tax for every dollar spent.
Bryan said the TDA was established in 2017 following an act by the General Assembly.
In the first six months of 2018, the hotel tax totaled $174,150. It has generally gone up every fiscal year since then aside from the first COVID year of 2020. For example, it was $267,968 in FY 2019; $251,931 in FY 2020; $291,314 in FY 2021; $336,501 in FY 2022; $336,989 in FY 2023; and $357,634 in FY 2024. Through the first 11 months of FY 2025, it has generated $310,299.
The mission of the TDA is to promote tourism through marketing or other activities and conduct market research, for example.
Kelli Laudate was initially hired as an interim part-time executive director before Bryan became the full-time director, Bryan said.
The TDA's accomplishments in 2024 include $104.5 million in visitors' spending, an increase of 8.6%.
Some of the events the TDA sponsors include the Carolina Indie Fest, Triple Crown Car Show, Pop! Con, Downtown Sanford Streetfest and Fireworks, Broadway Our Way, the Brush and Palette Annual Art Show, Strawberry Jammin', Boo and Brew and the Central Carolina Wedding Showcase.
Also of note, the TDA opened the Visit Sanford Welcome Center at 229 Carthage St. in July 2023. Both the TDA and Downtown Sanford Inc. are located there.
MARKETING WICKER CENTER?
Also on June 11, the TDA Board will consider approving the FY 2026 budget and a memorandum of understanding with Central Community College for Marketing Services for the Dennis Wicker Civic Center.
During a phone conversation on Monday, Bryan noted that the TDA works hand-in-hand with DSI.
DOWNTOWN SANFORD INC.
Although DSI is funded by the City of Sanford, it is a nonprofit organization. It also receives private donations, according to its website,
It was founded as the Downtown Sanford Redevelopment Corp. in 1984, but the name was changed in 1997.
DSI gets 11 cents per $100 of assessed property valuation within the Municipal Service District (MSD), which is generally located in the downtown area. It includes 17 blocks and 183 parcels.
Laudate has been DSI's executive director since August 2019, she said in an email, noting that she began as promotions coordinator and was later promoted.
DSI has been with the NC Main Street program since 1984 and began to enhance and promote the downtown area while encouraging private investment, she said. The program aims to promote preservation-based economic development.
Since she works for a nonprofit, Laudate's salary is not a public record. However since city taxes help fund her position, The Sanford Herald inquired about her salary in an email. As of Wednesday afternoon, Laudate had not provided that information.
The city contributes substantially by providing funding for the DSI executive director's salary and through both financial and in-kind contributions to specific capital improvement projects, according to
The city's annual contributions include costs for advertising, bookkeeping, DSI salaries, the Real Investment in Sanford Entrepreneurs (RISE) grant, rent and Streetfest expenses, according to Beth Kelly, assistant city manager.
Over the past five fiscal years, the city has contributed $63,487; $74,492; $99,299; $83,074 and $97,808 to DSI, Kelly said in an email.
She added that the city has contributed in most years to the MSD Fund since at least 2007 for various expenses.
'Our financial software only goes back to 2007 so that is all I can see for contributions, but I believe the city was contributing prior to 2007 as well, towards expenses including a debt payment related to decorations for downtown,' Kelly added.
DSI's mission statement notes that it champions the economic growth of the City of Sanford while preserving the historical integrity of downtown through education, promotion and management.
It does that through marketing efforts, including joint local advertising efforts and special events designed to bring visitors from across the state into downtown and Sanford.
DSI also continues to address issues such as parking, appearance, security, infrastructure (lighting, trash collection, etc.) and administration of its building improvement grant program.
Some of the projects DSI and city officials are currently working on include the Sanford Agricultural Marketplace, the Sanford Central Green and renovation of the historic Depot.
The Depot was built in 1910 to service passengers of three rail companies with stops in Sanford. To save the building from destruction, the Sanford Area Association of Realtors purchased and retrofitted it in the early 1990s to use as office space, according to
The city acquired the Depot from SAAR in 2015.
DSI is governed by a volunteer board of directors, which are appointed by the sitting board members, according to its website.
