Bureau seeks return of city funding

CHILLICOTHE - Want Chillicothe and Ross County to get the most bang from its tourist opportunities for its shops, restaurants, hotels and attractions?

It's going to mean attracting more two- and three-day visitors from Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Michigan. And that, local tourism officials say, takes enough funds to get marketing and promotional materials out to them.

Toward that end, and with the potential future increase in tourism should the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park achieve World Heritage Site status, the Ross-Chillicothe Convention & Visitors Bureau is asking for the return to a percentage of lodging tax receipts that existed before Chillicothe's bicentennial celebration.

"We are 100 percent funded by the county," said bureau Executive Director Melody Young. "That's my only funding source. Up until 2002, the CVB was funded by the county and the city, not the same amounts, but a portion. Then things changed during the bicentennial celebration. The CVB gave up their funding so the city could use that money to market the bicentennial. It's just never made its way back yet."

Young said she has requested a return to the prior funding level each of the last four years since she took over leadership of the bureau, but without success.

"This is as close as we've come, so I have a little bit of hope," Young said. "I feel pretty good that we'll get something, but I'm not sure we'll get (the full amount asked for)."

Young submitted a formal proposal in late summer. The city plans to discuss a final overview of the entire 2016 budget at a Dec. 8 meeting before beginning the three-read process leading to a final budget approval by Dec. 31.

In the bureau's proposal, Young notes that the bureau receives all of the county's 3 percent portion of the lodging tax, minus a 3 percent administrative charge of receipts. The city, the proposal states, also gets 3 percent of the lodging tax receipts, but that money goes into the city's general fund.

Prior to the shift for the bicentennial celebration, the bureau received about a third of the city's portion of the lodging tax receipts. The last time it received funding from the city, Young said, was in 2007 when the city contributed $25,000 after downsizing an economic development job.

According to the 2013 Economic Impact of Tourism in Ross County report, the direct and indirect annual impact of tourism amounts to $140.1 million in total sales, $47.5 million in wages and $19.6 million in taxes.

The additional funds would be used to broaden the distribution of marketing materials like the bureau's Visitors Guide.

"One of the distribution outlets that the RCCVB isn't able to fully undertake is stocking brochures in all of Ohio's tourist information centers," the proposal reads. "Currently, Chillicothe is only represented in four of the TIC locations in Ohio. With the additional funds, we would be able to increase coverage to all 12 TIC locations and be represented in Ashtabula, Belmont, Butler, Preble, Scioto, Warren, Washington, Wood and Trumbull counties. This would require the Ross-Chillicothe CVB to send additional boxes of Visitors Guides to AD-Rack via UPS which would increase the cost of shipping to fulfill all 12 locations."

Remaining funds would be used to advertise, primarily in well-known publications reaching audiences in Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Michigan.

Young said the time is ripe for expanding the area's reach. A significant increase in historical tourism is expected if efforts to earn the World Heritage Site designation are successful, Adena Mansion & Gardens saw a 19 percent increase in visitors in 2014, the Scioto Society is expanding programming beyond just the "Tecumseh!" outdoor drama and downtown revitalization efforts are contributing to the area's appeal.

City Auditor and Mayor-Elect Luke Freeney said so far this year, the city's share of lodging tax receipts is about $285,000, meaning under the bureau's proposal, $95,000 would go to the bureau.

"I've talked to Ms. Young about the bureau's request and am in favor of providing some support from the city," Feeney said. "Unfortunately, at this time, I can't see a way that the city can afford to part with that much income. As the state slashed the Local Government Fund, Chillicothe became more dependent on small revenue streams such as the lodging tax."

Feeney noted the Economic Development Alliance of Southern Ohio has also requested $50,000 from the city.

"My goal is for Chillicothe to ease its way back into contributing to both entities and to avoid overextending ourselves," he said. "I do not think we will be able to fully fund their requests, but I think it's likely that we'll be able to provide financial support both organizations in 2016, and I think will be a step in the right direction."