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Board pauses banner purchases, trims SID transfers in tourism budget
Summary
The Pacific Board of Aldermen voted to advise the tourism director not to order street banners before July 1 and agreed to remove $25,000 transfers from both East Osage and West Osage SIDs from the FY2025 tourism draft; the banners line was reduced from $50,000 to $25,000 pending vendor quotes.
Mayor Filley convened the Board of Aldermen workshop focused on the fiscal year 2025 budget and the tourism fund, saying the group should start by fixing errors and clarifying funding sources. Alderman Kelly moved — and the mayor seconded — a motion directing the tourism director not to proceed with ordering street banners in the two weeks prior to July 1; the motion passed on a voice vote.
The motion grew out of concerns raised during the tourism budget review that Special Improvement District (SID) money might be used for banners rather than sidewalks or other infrastructure. "If it comes before myself as an alderman, I will not vote in favor of spending money on banners when we sidewalk road approved," Alderman Kelly said during the discussion. Staff told the board that banner expenditures for fiscal 2025 had not yet been approved and that invoices would require additional approvals if over departmental spending limits.
Separately, Alderman Stewart proposed reducing the East Osage and West Osage transfers into the tourism fund from $25,000 each to $12,500 each for FY2025. Alderman Kelly said she preferred no transfer from the SIDs at all. After informal count and discussion, the board reached consensus to remove the $25,000 transfers from both SIDs in the draft budget and asked staff to reflect that direction in the next version.
Pending updated vendor pricing, the board approved lowering the banners expenditure line from $50,000 to $25,000 and asked Miss O'Malley (tourism director) to obtain firm bids by the end of the week. The chair emphasized that even with the money currently budgeted, invoices above departmental authority would still require board approval before payment.
What happens next: staff will update the tourism pages to remove the $25,000 SID transfers, reduce the banners line to $25,000 pending quotes, and circulate an updated budget worksheet for the board to review at the next session.
