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Committee advances bill allowing local leaders to choose city- or county-based tourism commissioners
Summary
The Kentucky House Committee on Tourism and Outdoor Recreation voted to advance House Bill 552, which would replace the term "jurisdiction" with "city" or "county" in statutes governing tourism commissions and change "chairman" to "chair," allowing mayors or county judge-executives greater flexibility in appointing members.
At a meeting of the Kentucky House Committee on Tourism and Outdoor Recreation, members voted to advance House Bill 552, a proposal supporters said will allow local officials to name tourism commission members who live in either the city or the county rather than being disqualified by the current residency language.
"This is really a measure to make sure that our smaller communities still have representation and [are] able to have a voice on their local tourist commissions," said John Sims, Fleming County judge-executive, who presented the bill to the committee. Sims said the measure makes limited wording changes: it replaces the word "jurisdiction" with "county" or "city" in three places and substitutes "chair" for "chairman."
Supporters told the committee the changes are meant to give city mayors or county judge-executives discretion to appoint representatives who best reflect local needs. Sims offered an example involving restaurant owners: if a restaurant owner lived outside a city but paid a tourism tax tied to the city, current residency rules could preclude that owner from serving on the local tourism commission; the bill would allow an official to appoint someone who resides in the county instead.
Representative Mitch Whitaker thanked the presenter and expressed support: "Tourism is a team sport in these counties. So I'm very happy to see this, and I'm a proud yes." Chair King later announced, "House Bill 552 has now passed out of this committee and is eligible for consideration on the House floor." The committee recorded no dissenting votes during the motion to advance the bill.
Committee staff and presenters told members that the Kentucky League of Cities and the judge-executives association back the proposal; Mayor Alexander, who co-sponsored the measure, was absent because he was ill, Sims said. Committee members did not ask follow-up questions during the floor presentation.
The bill now moves to the full House for consideration; committee members did not set a floor date during the meeting.
