Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Next year's budget for the Convention Visitors Bureau was approved at $352,950 by the county's Convention Recreation and Visitors Commission Thursday.
The CVB is funded through the innkeeper's tax. The 2007 budget request is $82,000 higher than last year.
A commission representative will petition the county council in December to approve the CVB funding.
Commissioners Deb Wiggins, Jan Carter, Faye Medlock, John Elliott and David Taylor, Joy McCarthy-Sessing and Jon Sroufe answer to the county council.
The CVB is one of several nonprofit organizations that seek grants from the commissioners. The bureau pays a mortgage on and maintains the Visitor's Center at 111 Capital Drive, Warsaw, provides a tourism and visitor oriented staff, and a Web site about things to do and places to stay in the county.
Innkeeper tax collection is expected to be at least $370,000 by the end of this year, according to Sue Ann Mitchell, county auditor, and should increase 17 percent in 2007 with additional taxes from Z Hotel and Hampton Inn rooms.
CVB Executive Director Mary Kittrell and CVB board member Brent Wilcoxson was on hand to answer questions about the budget.
Salaries were approved with a 5 percent increase. The executive director's salary was set at $42,000; sales/operations manager at $31,500; part-time and Saturday workers will receive $16,650; and $12,500 was earmarked for the Visitor Center coordinator.
Funding for an updated Web site was approved at $20,000. Another $20,000 was added to the budget for special projects.
As part of a long-range plan to attract visitors to the county, the CRV commissioners paid for a tourism study last year. Various aspects of the Zeigeist Consulting report are being studied by committees comprised of community members.
The CVB will fund long-range planning projects as recommended by the task force.
One new budget item added as a direct result of the Zeigeist study includes series of front-line training seminars to educate gas station, hotel and restaurant employees about what is happening in the county.
The CVB also plans a newsletter to be delivered by e-mail on a regular basis.
