DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT) — The Decatur City Council has approved a five-year investment and incentive agreement with Rock the South, which includes an investment from the city and compensation from the festival.
During a city council meeting on Monday, the council approved the agreement in a 4-1 vote. Councilman Billy Jackson was the lone disenter, citing during the meeting concerns over overtime costs for city employees and the overall cost of the event for the city. The agreement sets expectations and requirements for both the city and the event organizers.
With the event agreeing to the five-year commitment to holding the events in Decatur, the city is also agreeing to pay the organizers $5 million over those five years. The city agreed to make a $1,200,000 investment in the event by or on October 31, 2025.
The city will invest $1,100,000 in the second year, $1 million in the third year and $850,000 in the fourth and fifth years. After the first year, all payments will be due Oct. 1 as long as Rock the South is in compliance with its own commitments to the city.
While the city has agreed to invest in the event, the agreement also requires Rock the South to give money back to the city. As part of the agreement, the event will give 50% of its parking revenue to the city, along with revenue generated from a 10% fee added to tickets that include on-site camping.
Rock the South will also be required to pay Decatur $50,000 annually to help with infrastructure upgrades to the event’s location.
The agreement also has some more intangible benefits, such as Rock the South agreeing to lend the city its marketing expertise and to brand the event as Rock the South – Decatur.
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