CLEARFIELD – Board members of the Clearfield County Recreation and Tourism Authority became aware of the “big hit” that it’s likely to undertake in the upcoming year’s state budget during financial reports at Wednesday’s regular meeting.
On Tuesday, Gov. Tom Corbett unveiled his proposed 2011-12 state budget, which he presented as balanced and without higher taxes for residents of Pennsylvania. The governor’s new $27.3 billion general fund decreased spending by $866 million, or 3.1 percent. Overall, state spending was reset to near 2008-09 levels.
Specifically, Corbett’s budget proposal eliminated 103 appropriation line items and reduced funding for more than 150 others. Further, he consolidated an additional 55 appropriation line items, including some for tourism promotion efforts, in order to streamline government.
CCRTA Director Holly Komonczi reported that Corbett’s proposal only allowed $3.201 million to the state’s Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) for the marketing and tourism budget. However, state dollars were not appropriated for the Tourist Promotion Assistance (TPA) grant program.
In 2009-10, the state allocated $5.496 million for marketing and another $5.750 million to TPA grants, which totaled $11.246 million in tourism funding. Currently, there’s $5.240 million available for marketing and an additional $5.506 million in grant assistance, or $10.746 overall.
The CCRTA received approximately $11,200 in state dollars under last year’s budget. In recent years, the TPAs received grant funding with the amounts determined based upon the marketing and tourism efforts at each agency, Komonczi said.
Budget paperwork provided to her by Rob Fulton, president of the Pennsylvania Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus (PACVB), indicated that the TPA grant line item was consolidated under “Marketing to Attract Tourists.” In fact, funding was cut by 70 percent in order “to streamline tourism services at a reduced funding level,” Fulton wrote.
“There is no indication if this grant program for county and regional tourist promotion agencies will continue,” he added. He indicated that the $3.2 million allocation was the lowest total funding for tourism marketing and promotion since 1994-95, when the marketing line was $6 million and the TPA line was $7.4 million.
When asked by GantDaily.com, Komonczi didn’t believe the CCRTA was likely to receive any funding from the state in 2011-12. “I’m not expecting anything . . . My inkling right now is telling me zero,” she said, adding if the grant assistance line listed a funding amount later, it probably wouldn’t be an “automatic grant” to all TPAs but rather a more competitive distribution process.
Komonczi advised board members Wednesday that she’s already begun looking for ways to reduce costs around the office. For instance, the CCRTA spends approximately $2,000 annually for monthly tourism and travel data reports. However, similar information can be retrieved online at no cost, she said.
In addition, Travel Development Specialist Brian Roseberry has plans to explore methods of increasing revenue. He suggested advertising be offered to their partners on the CCRTA’s Web site and seeking $50 sponsorships for its newsletter from them as well.
According to him, advertising could be on the homepage, but if response was greater, it could also be scheduled to appear on any of the index pages. Board member Wilson Fisher encouraged Roseberry to discuss possible advertising costs with their partners to determine the interest and what they’re willing to pay.
While she encouraged the advertising ideas being explored, board member Nancy Micks reminded that most of their business partners were small, “mom-and-pop shops.” She solicited input about online advertising and appropriate pricing from board member Tracey Mahan, who is also an account executive at WJAC-TV.
Mahan said the CCRTA and prospective advertisers must lend consideration to the number of visitors and page views attracted by their Web site. She said some offering web-based advertising charge per set number of advertisement impressions, such as per 1,000.
In their case, Mahan believed a flat rate between $75 and $100 would likely be sufficient. “Call your partners. Talk to them. I think it’s a great idea,” she said.
Administrative Assistant Sue Swales-Vitullo proposed the idea of a summer intern at the office. According to her, the CCRTA could organize an event to fund the position and operate it similar to a scholarship-based internship program. Their intern could be assigned project(s) and awarded a stipend – possibly $500 – upon completion of the work.
Later in the meeting when discussing Request for Proposals for the annually-published travel planner, board member Hildred Rowles asked Komonczi to explore the possibility of multi-year printing contracts. He said it may even be more cost effective and would allow them to better budget related expenses.
Board members agreed that three years would likely be typical for any multi-year contract. However, board member Terry Malloy suggested Komonczi seek rates for both single-year and three-year proposals so that they could compare the two.
“We may even get better costs. With the budget, I think they all know that it is what it is. We need to live within our budget,” board member Joan Robinson-McMillen said. If the board pursued a multi-year contract, she encouraged for a clause, permitting either party to terminate it with a 60-day notice if they’re not satisfied.
The CCRTA also approved for Komonczi to attend a PACVB conference in Harrisburg. She said it would allow her to learn more about the governor’s budget proposal and how the $3.201 million tourism allocation would be spent.