The Greater Chattanooga Sports & Events Committee will not make any quick decisions after being excluded from funding in city mayor Ron Littlefield's proposed operating budget for the 2012 fiscal year.
Sports Committee president Scott Smith said Monday that the city has provided $75,000 annually since 1995, which was three years after the committee's inception. It operates under the Chattanooga Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
"It will be a while before we even get into the issue at all," said Bob Doak, the CVB president and CEO. "I can say that any time you take money out of a budget of a company that spends its money on bringing more business to town, it will have an effect undoubtedly."
The $75,000 has been part of the committee's annual operating budget, which Doak and Smith said is between $300,000 and $400,000.
"Obviously it's going to have an impact, but I don't know how large yet," Smith said. "Our budget is pretty streamlined as it is. I don't know where we're going to cut money, to be honest, so we're going to have to see what shakes down if indeed this does happen."
Smith has been a one-man show at the Sports Committee since last August, and Doak said that will have to continue. The Sports Committee had a budget meeting scheduled for Wednesday but has postponed it until mid-to-late June.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com at 423-757-6524.