CVB seeks portion of city's bed tax receipts

CHILLICOTHE — The head of the Ross-Chillicothe Convention and Visitors Bureau is seeking a portion of the city's lodging tax receipts next year in an effort to distribute visitors guide materials on a larger scale while using additional funds toward advertising Chillicothe as a tourism destination.

Executive Director Melody Young has proposed that the CVB collect one-third of the total bed tax receipts from the city in 2016 that would be paid in quarterly installments. Currently, the city and county each collect a 3 percent lodging tax on all hotel stays.

The county's portion of the tax is given to the CVB, while the city collects the same bed tax amount and places it into their general fund, according to Young. The bed tax collected locally has gradually gone up since 2010, with figures from 2013 indicating that $244,519 was collected, while 2014 brought in $258,733.

Young said she would like to distribute the CVB's visitors guide in more locations across the state if the city agrees to give back a portion of its bed tax receipts. The organization has information about Chillicothe and Ross County at four tourist information centers in Ohio, but Young said the additional funds would allow coverage to be expanded to all 12 information centers in Ohio.

"Our mission is to bring people to stay overnight," Young said. "The more we can advertise, the more people come in."

Under Young's proposal, the funding would allow allow the CVB to expand its coverage to Ashtabula, Belmont, Butler, Preble, Scioto, Warren, Washington, Wood and Trumbull counties. In addition, the CVB would also utilize the help of a company to stock and display visitors guide materials in locations of Indiana and Pennsylvania, while the remainder of funds would be used for advertising purposes.

Young's proposal indicates that prior to 2000, the city provided the CVB with 33 percent of its lodging tax receipts, but once the city started planning for the state bicentennial celebration in 2003, that money went to the bicentennial commission for planning of events involving the celebration. That move was favored by the CVB at the time, Young said, noting that "it was the understanding that once the bicentennial was over that those funds would come back" to the organization.

However, that did not happen, although the city did contribute $25,000 to the organization in 2007, while an additional $50,000 went toward the Economic Development Alliance of Southern Ohio, according to the proposal.

"That was the last year that any dollar amount was given to the Ross-Chillicothe CVB," Young said.

She also said she would like to continue the positive momentum moving forward, especially with the prospect of Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks possibly being designated as a World Heritage Site. Still, she added that the more information the CVB has, the better decisions it can make.

"You really have to dig to see if it makes sense and we do that with a staff of three," Young said.

One out of 11 jobs in Ross County is linked to tourism, Young said, adding that she would like to do more to promote tourism here in an effort to reach more people.

"Right now, our hands are tied," she said. "We don't want to stop what we're doing. We hope that the city realizes that and wants to help."

The issue is expected to be assigned to a city council committee for discussion in the near future.