Chair urges review of transient guest tax governance and proposes county oversight changes

Chair Vicki Gurman told the board she had reviewed the county’s charter resolution that governs the transient guest tax and asked the county administrator to prepare a proposal to update the governance structure and oversight of those funds.

Gurman said the county has been transferring transient guest tax revenue to the Finney County Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) without a formal contract defining performance expectations, reporting requirements or financial oversight. She recommended the administrator present options to the board that could include direct county administration of the funds, creation of a county destination committee with broad stakeholder representation, and consideration of increasing the transient guest tax rate from the current 6% to 8% to allow larger investments in publicly owned visitor facilities such as the fairgrounds and the exhibition building.

Gurman made clear the recommendation is not a critique of the CVB’s work but a governance and transparency measure prompted by a broader legislative audit and questions about oversight of transient guest tax revenues. She directed the administrator to present the steps needed to update the charter resolution, including possible contract structures, deliverables, and reporting safeguards.

Why it matters: transient guest tax revenue can fund visitor facilities and event promotion; changes in governance or the tax rate would alter county revenue flows, oversight, and eligibility for projects. The chair framed the change as a way to strengthen transparency and ensure public funds support county priorities.