Board holdouts keep convention office open

The bureau expects to survive for about a year on its savings.
& lt;a href=mailto:siff@vindy.com & gt;By STEPHEN SIFF & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- The three remaining members of the Trumbull County Convention and Visitors Bureau board plan to hang on for as long as their $200,000 savings hold out, the bureau's attorney said.
The board does not intend to give money accumulated from years of budget surpluses back to the county, as the county commissioners' lawyers have asked, said Atty. Jeff Kurz.
Rather, the members are planning on spending it to keep the bureau's two paid employees working for as long as possible, he said.
"It is a matter of pride and loyalty to the people of Trumbull County," Kurz said. "We believe we were given the money to do something with it, and that is what we are going to do until we are finished."
The county suspended monthly payments to the convention bureau in December, shortly before the existence of the bureau's $200,000 savings became public.
Those savings will be enough to run the bureau for about a year, Kurz said.
"As long is there is money, we have to continue paying bills and keep our obligations," said board chairman Richard Alberini. "We have work to do. We have no plans to close up shop yet."
Explanation
Until recently, the convention bureau was funded through the county's 21/2 percent tax on hotel rooms. The money could not be used for anything else until state law was changed last year to allow bed tax money to also be used to support the local port authority and airport. The total amount of the tax was then raised to 4 percent.
Jason Earnhart, assistant county prosecutor, who has represented commissioners in their quest to see the money returned, said the lack of cooperation from the three bureau board members is troubling.
"How is the county going to be served by all this?" he asked.
In correspondence with the bureau, James Misocky, assistant county prosecutor, warned that the county could pursue legal action to get the money back, because the bureau's contract forbids it from investing public funds.
However, bureau officials argue that keeping money in an interest-bearing bank account does not constitute an investment.
Commissioners could retake control of the convention bureau by appointing board members to the four seats vacated when the controversy began.
The bureau's bylaws also allow the board to appoint two of its own members.
Even though the bureau board now has only three members, Kurz said the board can still take formal actions as long as a majority of the three agree.
& lt;a href=mailto:siff@vindy.com & gt;siff@vindy.com & lt;/a & gt;