After a month of trading shots with Hamilton County Commissioner Tim Boyd over how it spends its money and possible revenue cuts, the Chattanooga Convention & Visitors Bureau took the fight directly to the commission floor this morning.
Boyd has accused the CVB, on track to receive $7.8 million in hotel/motel tax revenue this year, of lavish overspending, citing his recently published review of the agency's internal audit paperwork. By state law, those documents - labeled "working papers" - are not public record. Boyd has also recommended slashing $2 million of CVB's revenue stream to pay the debt on a proposed $10 million athletic complex at Howard High School.
Last week, CVB attorneys sent a letter to the Hamilton County Attorney Rheubin Taylor threatening legal action against the county commission if Boyd persists.
Today, CVB President Bob Doak brought a host of tourism industry leaders to oppose cuts to the agency.
Any cuts to CVB funding - even 10 percent - would be "detrimental," Vision Hospitality founder Mitch Patel said.
Doak distributed a packet showing the agency spent $4.8 million on marketing in fiscal 2015 and generated more than $60 million for Hamilton County through 65 meetings, conventions and sporting events in 2016.
CVB projects $1.1 billion in annual tourism spending.
Keith Sanford, CEO and president of the Tennessee Aquarium, said he regretted the "negative battle" over the agency's commitment to transparency.
Doak said commissioners could go over the CVB budget "line item by line item." However, it would be "detrimental" to release it publicly to the media.
Doing so would essentially give away the CVB's marketing plans away to other tourism agencies in other cities.
Boyd has argued that CVB ought to be subject to the same rules as the county since a majority of its money comes from the county.