MAHONING COUNTY Numbers game stalls CVB board

The commissioners want to make sure they control CVB money.
YOUNGSTOWN -- A new Mahoning County Convention & amp; Visitors Bureau is not quite ready to begin promoting the county's attractions.
Mahoning County commissioners were expected to pass a resolution Thursday appointing members to the new board. But, the commissioners realized the CVB had 12 members, and Anthony Traficanti, commission chairman, said it was undesirable to have an even-numbered board.
So, the commissioners delayed approving any appointments until they have a discussion with the county prosecutor's office on the CVB's composition and how it will report to the commissioners.
Several options
Linette M. Stratford of the prosecutor's office said the commissioners have several options for the CVB's operation.
The CVB could serve as a policy board, where it would conduct its business but couldn't expend any money without a resolution by commissioners approving that expenditure.
The CVB is funded from 1 percent of the county's 3 percent lodging tax on hotels and motels. The other 2 percent is used by commissioners to fund operations at Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport.
The CVB also could act as an advisory board, or it could be set up as a quasi-governmental entity with the authority to spend the bed tax revenue as it sees fit to promote tourism, Stratford said.
Traficanti is reluctant to go that route because that is what caused the problem between the last board of commissioners and the former CVB.
The county remains in litigation to get bed tax dollars from the old CVB, which the former commissioner board stopped funding in 2003. That tourism board claims it has the right to keep the money it has in its budget, about $200,000; the county says it doesn't and would like that money to go to the new CVB.
A lawyer for the former CVB proposed a settlement offer to Stratford and the commissioners on March 8, but the commissioners haven't decided to accept it. Meanwhile, the case is pending in the 7th District Court of Appeals.
Another option would be for the commissioners to contract out the tourism services to a private group, Stratford said.
Traficanti said the commissioners wanted to be sure they were in a position to control the money to "make sure the bed tax funds are spent the right way."
The commissioners also agreed the number of CVB board members should be nine, not 12, which means the commissioners will likely step down from membership. They initially were included.
Film board
In other business, in a 3-1 vote, the interim CVB board gave $500 to the Western Reserve Film Commission to maintain its yearly membership in the Association of Film Commissioners International. AFCI members assist feature, television, commercial, industrial and stills production throughout the world.
Richard Ouzounian, commission director, said without the membership, the county has no legitimate film commission. His goal is to either have the commissioners designate bed tax money to fund the film commission or have the film agency placed under the CVB's umbrella. He said the commission represents Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties, but has no operating budget.
Board member Jeff Maurer cast the dissenting vote after Ouzounian told him he was unable to do any follow up on film promotions last year because he had no money to do so.