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Baxter council reviews Visit Brainerd service agreement, requests ROI metrics and annual audit
Summary
Visit Brainerd presented a proposed service agreement and annual plan to the Baxter City Council. The visitor bureau said Baxter supplies about 86% of its lodging-tax funding; council members asked for clearer branding for Baxter, return-on-investment data and the option of an annual audit before finalizing a long-term agreement.
Visit Brainerd representative Mary Advaitonasa presented a proposed service agreement and the organization’s 2025 budget to the Baxter City Council during a work session, outlining a $536,000 expected income and asking the council for direction on a renewed contract.
The presentation matters because Baxter supplies the majority of the lodging-tax revenue that funds Visit Brainerd’s work: “It’s 86%,” Advaitonasa told the council, and she asked what the City of Baxter would need to see to feel that money produces a return. Council members pressed for measurable economic-impact data and for more visible Baxter branding in Visit Brainerd’s promotions.
Advaitonasa described Visit Brainerd’s history and marketing plan and walked the council through budget details included in the meeting packet. She said the bureau runs “lean,” with roughly $200,000 in operations and $328,000 in programming in the proposed budget, and that non-tax revenues (advertising contracts, sponsorships…
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