TRUMBULL COUNTY Angelo supports Visitors Bureau board

Trumbull County has also been holding onto convention bureau money.
By STEPHEN SIFF
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- The Trumbull County Convention and Visitors Bureau board is a dedicated, civic-minded group who has probably not wasted money, said Trumbull County Commissioner Joseph Angelo Jr.
"I don't think there is any money misspent," Angelo said. "The people on the board are owners of businesses and they are pillars of society and pillars of the community."
He also said the $200,000 surplus carried in bureau bank accounts is probably appropriate.
"I talked to people in Columbus and I think it is not unusual for money to be held in reserve," Angelo said. "They said it happens all the time in these situations."
His comments come in marked contrast to the call by his colleague, Commissioner James Tsagaris, for the bureau's board to resign earlier this month after questions about the money were first raised.
Struggle has gone on
Angelo's words also stand out for civility in what has been a yearlong struggle between the convention bureau and commissioners.
In the last year, commissioners removed from the board two longtime members who were serving as treasurer and president. In December, monthly cash disbursements to the convention board were halted, forcing the board to live on its savings for more than a month before concern over the size of its savings became public.
Last week, commissioners approved a performance audit to examine the bureau's efficiency.
"It is a political power play," said bureau board member Dominic Baragona. "There was no scandal, there was no problem."
Angelo said he asked the county auditor to hold back the rest of the convention and visitors bureau's 2003 funds in November because he was concerned about the size of the bureau's savings.
Commissioner James Tsagaris said he didn't know that funding to the bureau had been suspended. Members of the bureau board say they sent letters to commissioners seeking an explanation but received no response.
Questions
While commissioners wonder about the $200,000 surplus, members of the convention bureau board have questions about more than $143,000 the county had collected in lodging tax but commissioners never allowed the bureau to spend.
Although commissioners never put the money in the convention bureau's budget, at the time it could not legally be spent for any other purpose.
Commissioners hold a budget hearing for the bureau every year.
The convention bureau is supported entirely by a tax on hotel rooms, which commissioners raised from 21/2 percent to 4 percent at the end of last year. Until a change promoted by Trumbull County commissioners passed the state Legislature last year, lodging tax money could only be used by convention and visitors bureaus.
Now, commissioners can also use it to support port authority projects, including the Western Reserve Regional Airport. They agreed in December to dedicate 2 percent for the port authority.
"They want to find a way to get ahold of the money," said visitors bureau chairman Richard Alberini.
Four former board members heeded Tsagaris' call and resigned over the past several weeks. When it meets next week, the remaining three board members will consider whether to appoint new members themselves. The bureau charter allows the board to appoint two members.
siff@vindy.com