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Madison County board hears public criticism of tourism budget during 2026 tentative budget hearing
Summary
A resident sharply criticized the county’s tourism budget presentation as a “non budget” lacking expense line‑items; county staff said the tourism agency is contractual and offered to post more detail online. The board closed the hearing after public comment.
Madison County supervisors opened a public hearing on the county’s 2026 tentative budget and heard a sustained public complaint that the county’s tourism allocation lacked itemized expenditures.
Art Libio, a resident who said he has reviewed budgets for decades, told the board the tourism budget is presented as a “non budget” that provides no expense lines or categories. "This is not a real budget," Libio said, adding that the document was "laughable" and "embarrassing." He cited prior allocations and figures during his remarks, saying the program had received $381,000 so far, after $500,000 in 2024 and a $550,000 budgeted figure for 2025.
A board or staff member responded that Madison County Tourism is a contractual agency, not a county department, and offered a practical next step: "I can work with Caitlin Lynch, and we can get some information up on our website that will have that detail," the speaker said.
The chair closed the public hearing after comments and the board proceeded with its agenda. No decision on changing the tourism budget document was recorded at the meeting; the offer to post supplemental detail on the county website was the only follow-up commitment announced publicly.
The comment and response came during the county budget public hearing (Madison County 2026 tentative budget). The board later carried multiple resolutions and then recessed to an executive session with no further budget votes reported in open session.
