Geary County Commissioner Alex Tyson recently addressed the City's desire to study the possibility of implementing their own transient guest tax. Tyson stated that city officials can't be blamed for wanting to venture out on their own, and determine ways to generate funds to help them undertake activities and events that will attract people to the community.
Tyson feels the City shouldn't have to go that route, "or go to those lengths if they had a productive partnership with our CVB, but the CVB and members on the committee refuse to work with individuals on the Chamber. Tyson wants cooperation, and noted that the CVB is not going to be under the County's umbrella "and go at this lone ranger. There will be partnerships."
CVB Advisory Committee member and Milford Mayor Brad Roether has issued a response to Tyson's comments.
"There are those in this community that have their own agenda and want things to go their way but are not willing to reciprocate the same. Those same groups want to tell other organizations what to do but become offended when they are questioned or asked to change or compromise.
The Geary County Convention and Visitor's Bureau is constantly attacked by a certain group of individuals in our community and the media does a poor job of representing both sides of this issue. When in fact, the CVB and the CVB Board has consistently done their job by bringing business to our community which includes hotel stays and retail sales.
The CVB is much like a business with a board of directors which oversee its function to ensure that the CVB is bringing business ( sales tax ) and hotel stays ( sales tax ) to our community. They also act as good stewards representing our community so that those same people have a great experience and want to come back to our community. With that being said, think for a minute if you were a business owner and someone or a group of individuals wanted to enforce their will on you as it relates to how they want you to run your business. I would venture to guess that you would not appreciate that and would be irritated and offended by it."