The Midlothian City Council opened 2025 on Tuesday night by allowing the use of hotel occupancy tax funds to help a local theatre group rent the Midlothian Conference Center.

In their first meeting of the new year, the council authorized the use of these funds to assist Back Porch Theatre Inc. to hold five performances at the Conference Center, one in 2025 and four in 2026. The funds will cover 75 percent of the rental costs, totaling about $50,000.

Back Porch Theatre is a non-profit community theatre for Ellis County, with more than half of the participants being Midlothian residents. They currently hold their performances at the Midlothian Civic Center, which limits their audience due to space.

The use of the larger Conference Center is outside of the troupe’s budget, so they requested the use of hotel occupancy tax (HOT) funds to pay for a portion of the rental fee, which in turn would allow them to increase awareness and sales.

Councilmember Allen Moorman said he and City Manager Chris Dick worked with Back Porch Theatre and the Conference Center over the last month to explore the use of HOT funds.

Moorman said the intent is to provide the group with a suitable home for up to four events a year, but currently Back Porch Theatre is planning only one event at the Conference Center in August 2025 due to availability. Because scheduling the center is in high demand, Moorman urged the council to approve all five planned performances now.

Dick said the total amount to rent the Conference Center is about $13,000, but that the use of HOT funds in a 75-25 split would be allowable, with HOT funds providing about $10,000. Dick told the council there is a two-part test governing the use of HOT funds: either for the arts, or for “putting heads in beds.”

Currently, the HOT fund has $174,000 in it and that should increase in the coming year, Dick said. A rebate program ended last year and the city is keeping more of the funds, and last year the city took in about $66,000, he added.

HOT funds have in the past been typically used for advertising for Midlothian Chamber of Commerce events.

All seven members of the City Council were present.

In other items, Mayor Justin Coffman issued a proclamation honoring the late Terrell police officer Jacob Candanoza, a Midlothian native who died in the line of duty on Dec. 8; and also issued a proclamation recognizing the upcoming Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service in the city on Saturday.