Basically, business members and the Roanoke Times got "punked" with a supposed scandal at the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce this summer.
When that "story" broke, the funding partners made a break from the struggling regional Tourism Development Council. Blacksburg and Christiansburg immediately stopped making contributions and news reports indicated both towns considered the contract null and void, ceasing funding.
To briefly recap, the TDC was comprised of the chamber's representative (president), a liaison from each funding authority (Blacksburg, Christiansburg and Montgomery County Board of Supervisors), and representatives from the lodging industry -- where the related funding of these taxes originate.
Collection and distribution of these tax dollars began in 2005 and equated to approximately $205,000 per year -- or 1% of lodging taxes collected by each funding authority. In Christiansburg's current fiscal year budget lodging tax revenues represent about 2% of the entire budget -- or, if other sources of grant monies are removed, about 4% of the total budget. To put this into perspective, if you were a 4% stockholder of any company, you would be listened to.
"Who knew it would be that much money" Christiansburg's elected officials asked. Why, anyone who knew how to compute 1% of 7% of what Council budgeted as revenue from lodging taxes each year.
Subsequently, a new 501(c)6 has been formed to serve as the New River Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau (NRVCVB) with the TDC as the governing body, as reported by Councilman Henry Showalter (current Christiansburg liaison). Wait a minute...didn't the chamber's contract -- which served as an umbrella to the TDC -- get voided? And aren't funding partners, chamber members and tax payers still waiting to see whether any actual charges will result from an investigation reportedly being conducted by the Blacksburg Police Department?
Recently, a new chamber president was hired. Chamber members didn't hear about this via normal chamber communication routes, because no news or information has been forthcoming since they were selling tickets to their annual gala (unless you count the emails where they were hawking a member's unwanted VT football tickets this week, which isn't a listed benefit of membership).
In early December it was reported Christiansburg was "taking the lead on preparing" new contracts, and that the NRVCVB would be totally divorced from the chamber. This is interesting, since Christiansburg had started the domino effect by reducing funding below what had been contracted.
Now word comes that a TDC Director has been hired, with negotiations underway for this reported by Showalter in early December. Where was the job advertised? What were the qualifications, skills, knowledge requirements? How is this salary being funded? Where will the offices be located, and how will the insurance, marketing and utilities be paid? What are the required short or long term deliverables, and who defined these? Going forward, how will these expenses compare to those when they were shared with complementary chamber operations?
Certainly this won't be funded by chamber membership dues or fund raising activities. Only by tax money. Moreover, word isn't that this is a new TDC Direcor, rather an Executive Director for the NRVCVB.
Here's a strong suggestion. Voters need to demand those elected to manage taxpayer's dollars read Virginia's Public Procurement law -- and those relative to when a Request for Proposals (RFP) is required. Then go look at the former TDC's website, and remember the new Executive Director of the NRVCVB got that done by a family member getting the job -- without advertising for services.
Then go take a look at what tourism development really looks like -- and costs -- in Roanoke or Staunton. These organizations, and their funding partners, all have effective tourism websites -- and various communication tools to their consitituents.
The single metric for success is that lodging tax revenues go up -- and with these, meals and state sales taxes -- thus keeping other taxes, license and fee costs lower for residents and business owners in Montgomery County.