After reviewing records that showed the Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau had exceeded its marketing budget by more than $66,000, the organization’s board voted Tuesday to halt all future marketing and advertising spending without special board approval.
During the CVB board’s regular meeting, several board members asked Executive Director Nancy Carpenter how the CVB has been spending more than the $222,000 allocated to marketing in the current fiscal year.
When Carpenter replied that the overage was not out of the ordinary, the board voted to stop all over-budget payments on marketing and advertising, effectively halting all future spending until fiscal year 2024.
The CVB fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30.
“This falls in line exactly with what the county does,” board member Quinn Brislin said of the spending freeze. “This is exactly what we should be doing. We can amend the budget if we move money around and make that happen, but (these decisions have) got to come from the board.”
The marketing budget of $222,000 makes up approximately 20% of the CVB’s $1.3 million total budget, Carpenter told The Dispatch in an interview after the meeting. She said funds allocated to other line items that come in under budget have routinely been transferred to cover marketing overages in years past.
“Maybe there was an extra $20,000 or $30,000 that was budgeted (in other line items) that was not spent, then we’ll move it into (marketing),” Carpenter said. “At the end of the year, we always balance our budget.”
She added that going over budget has become a yearly occurrence as events like Fireworks on the Water, Catfish in the Alley, Market Street Festival and other smaller events become more expensive to sponsor.
The board also requested Carpenter provide detailed records of all marketing expenses incurred, which will allow the board to review what was spent on specific events, festivals and marketing campaigns. Carpenter said she plans to give those reports to board members at its next meeting on August 22.
“I think we need to have (detailed marketing expenditure reports) out in front of us here,” Brislin said. “Whether it’s on the email or something shared with us so we can go ahead and start with the new budget.”
Carpenter presents financial reports – including a profit and loss statement and balance sheet – to board members monthly. The profit and loss statement shows how individual line items are tracking against the organization’s budget.
Board President Liz Terry said CVB previously spent available money to keep up with heightened costs of doing business but will now use the detailed reports to form a new budget that reflects actual expected expenditures.
“Those adjustments are being taken into consideration,” Terry said. “As far as continuing to have this kind of thing every year, it’s something we’re looking at more closely to try and make sure it doesn’t happen, especially to the degree that it has happened.”
CVB funding comes from a 2% sales tax on prepared food and beverages sold in the Columbus city limits.
Executive session
In a lengthy executive session, board members discussed a letter of complaint about Carpenter’s work performance.
Carpenter confirmed the letter concerned her character and management of CVB, calling it “a personal attack,” but declined to give specific details.
Board attorney John Brady declined to say whether the letter will affect Carpenter’s contract with the board, but noted that her contract is up for renewal on Sept. 30. He also would not confirm its writer.
“I did respond (to the board on) every area of the letter on the specifics of how the CVB is run,” she said.
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