Visitors bureau asks county to OK up to $1 million from reserves for new Kokomo conference center operations

The Howard County Convention & Visitors Bureau asked the county to approve a potential draw of up to $1,000,000 from its accumulated cash reserves to help cover startup operations for the Kokomo Conference Center and adjacent hotel in its first year of operation. Sherry Matlock, manager of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, told the council the CVB projects total 2026 expenses of $2,650,000, of which $722,500 is for CVB operations, $425,000 for debt service on bonds tied to the conference center and an estimated $1,300,000 for conference-center operations in the partial first year. Matlock said the CVB is funded entirely from the county innkeeper's tax and estimated $2.3 million in cash on hand, rising to an estimated $2.6 million by year-end. She said projected 2026 innkeeper-tax collections are $1,500,000. The CVB has been setting aside funds for the project since 2015 and increased annual set-asides…