The historic Temple Theatre in downtown Meridian needs support from the community if it is going to survive, theater owner Roger Smith told the Meridian City Council on Tuesday.

The theater, one of the largest performing venues of its time in the state with the capacity to seat 1,600, is nearing its 101st birthday, and continues to host events as one of Meridian’s most iconic historic buildings.

Smith, who bought the Temple in 2009 and has operated it for the past 17 years, said the theater has long been self-supporting with the money earned from hosting events and performances.

“Whatever walked through the door, that’s how we survived,” he said.

Unfortunately, Smith said, that is no longer the case. Although the Temple enjoyed a brief period of high engagement following COVID-19 lockdowns, attendance has declined, he said, and it isn’t entirely clear why. The venue has also suffered a rash of booking cancellations that have further impacted the finances. Three different events pulled out over the course of three months.

“We had them booked, and back to back they canceled,” he said.

The Temple, Smith said, cannot rely on events to pay the bills any longer and needs support from the city, county or community to continue operation. Currently, he said he is supporting the theater with part of his social security to the tune of about $2,000 per month, but that isn’t a sustainable solution.

“We do need some kind of bare minimum financial help to keep the Temple open,” he said.

Councilman George Thomas said the theater is an icon in Meridian and the last theater of its kind still operational in Mississippi. To lose it, he said, would be devastating to both the city and the state.

“Some way, we’ve got to save the Temple Theatre,” he said.

City Attorney Will Simmons said the laws governing charitable giving limit the city in what it can do, but in general the city can only provide matching funds. A nonprofit, such as the Temple Theater for the Performing Arts, of which Smith is the chief executive, could only receive money from the city equal to what it already has in its bank account.

Councilwoman Romande Walker, who serves as council president, said the deadline to apply for contributions from the city is usually in July to give the city’s legal team time to review each application while the council and administration finalize the budget. The council will then divide up the available funding between organizations using input from the attorneys to make sure the amounts comply with what the city can legally give.

Smith said he is unaware of the contributions process as asking for financial assistance from the city isn’t something he has had to do on a regular basis before. Coming up with the matching funds, he said, may be a challenge.

“As far as matching funds, I don’t know where they would come from,” he said.

Keeping the Temple Theatre open and operational is going to take financial support, Smith said, whether that support comes from Meridian, Lauderdale County, community groups and foundations or somewhere else. What it really comes down to, he said, is whether or not the community cares enough to take action.