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Committee presses DECD on diverting tourism dollars to cover Loring arrears and JTIF expansion
Summary
Members pressed DECD on a proposal that would divert some tourism marketing funds and expand JTIF support for Loring, seeking assurances that long‑term tourism marketing spending would not fall and asking exact figures for the proposed diversions and transfers.
During the budget work session the committee examined a DECD proposal that would use unspent department funds and an accounting maneuver to address arrears at Loring and extend the Job‑Training and Investment Fund (JTIF) support there.
Mo Terry of DECD said the agency identified unspent balances and an uptick in expected revenues that make a temporary diversion possible without changing the long‑term level of tourism marketing spending. She told members that the proposed current‑year diversion affecting tourism marketing is roughly $79,000 (packet references $700,000 in part EE) and that the current JTIF subsidy to Loring stands at about $600,000; the budget proposes options that could increase the JTIF subsidy to 100% (i.e., roughly $1.2 million) and extend the JTIF authorization by five years. DECD characterized some requested funds as paying prior arrears (for example, a water bill) and some as continued economic development support.
Members expressed skepticism about precedent—Representative Amanda Collomore and others asked whether DECD will begin regularly pulling from other designated funds to bail out individual projects. DECD said they could not promise future choices but emphasized this appears to be a one‑time fix and that staff would provide documentation on fund flows and contract timing. Chair and members asked DECD to supply clearer breakdowns of revenue and spending flows for the tourism marketing fund and to confirm which contracts will come up for renewal.
Next steps: DECD to provide detailed accounting of tourism fund flows, contract timelines, and the exact numbers underlying the JTIF proposal before the committee's vote session.
