TRUMBULL COUNTY Officials reject plan to merge visitors bureaus

The Trumbull convention bureau offered to take a reduction in funding.
By STEPHEN SIFF
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Trumbull County commissioners have rejected a plan from counterparts in Mahoning County to merge the two counties' convention and visitors bureaus.
"We are going to remain autonomous," Trumbull County Commissioner Joseph J. Angelo Jr. said this morning after asking members of the Trumbull County Convention & amp; Visitors Bureau board about their wishes. "We are not going to merge."
Members of both the Mahoning and Trumbull County CVB boards have been against merging, an idea that arose out of Mahoning County commissioners' desire to use bureau funding to support the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport.
"Everything has been going just beautiful the way it is now," said Trumbull bureau chairman Richard Alberini, referring to the relationship between the two boards. "We love them; they love us. It is a two-way street, and we stay independent."
Mahoning County commissioners began contemplating merging boards after hearing bitter complaints from hotel and motel owners about the possibility of raising Mahoning's 3 percent tax on hotel rooms to support the airport, as well as the convention and visitors bureau.
Plan rejected
In the face of complaints, the Mahoning commissioners proposed keeping the total room tax the same but giving funds raised by a 2 percent tax straight to the airport. The convention and visitors bureau could run on one-third the funds if it merged with Trumbull, the commissioners reasoned.
Trumbull County commissioners rejected that plan.
At a meeting this morning, they said they still have not decided how much to raise the bed tax to support the airport. Angelo said he was considering something between 2 percent and 3 percent.
Paul Petrich, convention and visitors bureau board member, said the board could still do the same job if commissioners reduce funding from a 21/2 percent tax on hotel rooms to 2 percent.
An expected increase in the number of hotel rooms in the county will compensate for the reduction in tax rate, officials said.