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Kent County staff report highlights proposed tourism funding cut, budget calendar and grants
Summary
Staff told the commission that the Maryland tourism development board’s funding was proposed to be cut by $6 million and that written testimony had a narrow submission window; staff also reviewed county budget timing, pending brochure grant, micro-ag grant deadline, and the April 15 StartUp pitch competition.
A county staff member reported that the Maryland tourism development board was facing a proposed reduction of about $6,000,000 and that the county would need to submit written testimony by the next day to meet the legislative timeline. Staff described the testimony process as time-limited and coordinated via the Maryland Tourism Coalition and individual Destination Marketing Organizations.
Staff reviewed the county budget schedule: the county’s internal work on budget documents is in process, departments present on April 1, and the county CFO, Pat Merritt, typically provides an overview for the county commissioners. Staff said a delay or extension was possible but emphasized the near-term budget calendar during a period they described as “budget season.”
Other items in the staff report included website work (the county is migrating agenda software to CivicPlus and updating the county’s business directory), a $5,000 printing grant for museum brochures for which the county had not yet received a decision, and active planning for an America250 event with a Kent County focus. Staff said the micro agricultural grant program was accepting applications due Friday, Feb. 28 at 5:00 p.m.; eight applications had been received as of the meeting. Staff also described the StartUp pitch competition at Washington College on April 15; the event is multi-county, entries are scored and finalists pitch, and the winner receives $4,000 with $1,500 for the runner-up.
Staff flagged procedural requirements and training: the commission must have at least one member certified in the Open Meetings Act; staff said one member already holds certification and offered to distribute a training link to the rest of the commission.
Separately, staff described ongoing business outreach and a business-visit program: staff said they had already completed eight business visits and aimed for three to five in-person interviews monthly once calendar pressures ease. Staff also noted an integration project to connect business-visit data to the HubSpot CRM, but said the integration had been delayed due to staff time and technical work.
A staff comment quoted at the meeting said, “We received a message last night … that the Maryland tourism development board is being cut by $6,000,000,” and staff said the county’s tourism partners were coordinating testimony and outreach. Commissioners asked staff to circulate talking points and work with the Maryland Tourism Coalition on a unified response; staff said the coalition and local Destination Marketing Organizations were handling coordination.
