The Columbus-Lowndes tourism bureau continues to take one step forward and two steps back.
After months of debate, Lowndes County Board of Supervisors President Harry Sanders and Columbus Mayor Robert Smith finally came to a decision about the ninth Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau member.
The two decided to name Harvey Myrick to the board, after going back and forth over potential board members.
Myrick has been an enthusiastic booster for the community as the organizer and proponent of the Grillin’ on the River cooking contest. The festival-type cooking competition has grown every year since its inception and provides a family-friendly draw to downtown.
But on the heels of that welcome news, the CVB offered a disappointing display at its Tuesday budget meeting.
The board passed a $1.53 million budget, without allowing at least two board members to review the details to their satisfaction.
Whirllie Byrd voted against the budget and threatened to call in the state for an audit of the CVB. Byrd often has been the squeaky wheel of the board, calling for openness in meetings, though it hasn’t always gone over well with her fellow board members.
Byrd was ousted as CVB board president in June when she pressed the board to hire an attorney and conduct more business in open session. She also called for a review of CVB credit-card records, suspicious of improper spending.
While we question her methods, we applaud her audacity. More members of more boards should ask tough questions.
Bernard Buckhalter also voted against the budget, saying it had not been reviewed by the entire board prior to Tuesday’s meeting.
According to CVB officials, it’s the same budget the board went over at a recent retreat, where they named Nancy Carpenter the full-time director of the CVB. Still, the board’s obvious division is cause for concern.
When Columbus and Lowndes County leaders called for the CVB board seats to be vacated and legislation to be rewritten clarifying the CVB’s duties, we hoped new board members would quell controversy and outline a clear mission.
But since the board was reconstituted with new members, they have held what appear to be illegal meetings and been difficult in responding to requests for public records.
The Columbus-Lowndes Development Link has and option to purchase the Gilmer Inn in downtown Columbus. To that we say, hooray. A boutique-style hotel in the heart of downtown could be a treasure for the CVB and the community.
The aging motor court of late has been a hotbed for crime and seedy characters.
This new development could give downtown a breath of fresh air.
High-end downtown hotels, like The Alluvian in Greenwood, have proven to be a boon for their cities.
But it’s hard to get excited about the potential of the CVB when its credibility seems to shrink with each board meeting.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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