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43 <br /> Chair Bedford mentioned the diminishing marginal returns. She said that if you are only spending <br /> based on revenue flow, it is not efficient fiscal management. She said it doesn't make sense to <br /> her for all of occupancy tax funds to go to one department. She said she thought it should have a <br /> budget. <br /> Chair Bedford said the Visitors Bureau does have a budget. <br /> Vice-Chair Hamilton said that it should be a budget that is based on need. She said many <br /> say it is arts. She said that to have a successful tourist experience, they have to have a county <br /> were everyone is functioning well because the residents are paying for it. She said she wants <br /> occupancy tax to help support infrastructure, and that money should go to the best use. She said <br /> in economic downturns, the county stepped in to help. She said she thinks there should be a <br /> budget and anything above the budget could be spent on something else. She said it is hard to <br /> tease out what the tourism budget brings to the occupancy tax because there are so many factors. <br /> She said they need to look at the best use of every dollar. <br /> Chair Bedford said the problem with the budget this year is that they had people get <br /> evicted because they can't pay rent. She said if they can redirect some of the occupancy tax <br /> dollars, then dollars are freed up to help people with housing or to support housing. She said it <br /> frees up the general fund and allows more flexibility with the dollars. <br /> Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked if it is complicating for them to have a separate fund. <br /> Chair Bedford said the budget directors can manage that and it is not a worry. <br /> Commissioner McKee said it is a unique area and there are unknowns that they can't plan <br /> for. He said the amount of money that comes in, impacts mom and pop stores. He said the fund <br /> balance does not need to continue to grow over 15% and that is what the county has. He said he <br /> only supports option 1. He said that if they get soccer events, they need the flexibility to adapt <br /> and move forward. <br /> Commissioner Carter said she is confused why a county department has a fund balance <br /> policy in addition to the county's fund balance policy. She said she understands this has been <br /> the policy for a longtime, so any changes need to be carefully reviewed. She said she would like <br /> to see a plan to come back in the future to discuss economic conditions because it is tough to <br /> plan for economic uncertainties. She said she would like to invest in the arts and using the <br /> Visitor's Bureau with that as they move forward. She said that she wants to visit the conversation <br /> of fund balance policy and she questions why a department has a fund balance since the county <br /> has one. <br /> Commissioner Greene said she thinks of this like an enterprise fund, and they are funded <br /> by the occupancy tax. She said that it is a special revenue tax and the reason that the department <br /> has a fund balance policy. She said she does not feel like she knows how to micromanage the <br /> expenditures. She said she can support some reduction of the fund balance, but she is only willing <br /> out of compromise and ultimately, the Visitors Bureau knows what they are doing with their money. <br /> Chair Bedford said she doesn't think they should have a fund balance if they go with option <br /> 2. She said 15% is too high, and she thinks it should be how much it costs to make payroll and <br /> other fixed expenses for a certain number of months like they do with the schools. She said she <br /> would agree to bring it down or set a dollar amount. <br /> Vice-Chair Hamilton said she is not in favor of a department having a fund balance since <br /> the county will step in if need be. <br /> Commissioner Portie-Ascott said the county's budget is complicated. She said she thinks <br /> they have done a tremendous job accumulating the funds, but it is hard for her to understand the <br /> spending of savings. She said she doesn't know how much of a backstop they can be to all <br /> departments, and she is not sure she is in favor of spending it down. <br /> Commissioner Fowler said they are the backstop for all departments. She said they <br /> function like an enterprise fund. She said that it's not for salaried positions, but for marketing. She <br /> said maybe they need $500,000 for those purposes. She said the return on investment is what <br /> she is focused on. She said they have growth in occupancy but the growth in sales tax was not <br />