Greene County council approves tourism director job description and authorizes search for part‑time hire

The Greene County Council on a unanimous voice vote approved a job description for a tourism director and authorized the county tourism board to begin a search for a part‑time hire if funds allow.

The tourism board representative told the council that Greene County’s lodging tax receipts totaled $182,327 this year and that the board has proposed a $175,000 operating budget that includes $33,000 earmarked for a part‑time director (no more than 28 hours per week). “Since we started this tourism board in 2018 our budget has grown from $23,475 to $120,000, and we took in $182,327 from the lodging tax,” the tourism board representative said, arguing the workload has evolved from volunteer hours to a near unpaid part‑time job for board members.

Council members asked how board members are appointed, whether the board would participate in hiring and where staff would be located. The presenter said two board seats are appointed by the county council, two by county commissioners and one by the mayor of Linton; she said the tourism board would like to sit on the interview panel but deferred to county hiring rules. She said the tourism office would use existing office space at the county business center and that the board estimates roughly $239,000 in unspent tourism funds remain on hand.

The council first voted to approve the position description and then approved a separate motion authorizing the board to seek a qualified candidate for a part‑time tourism director role provided the funding is available.

The council did not set a hiring timetable; the tourism representative said the board would advertise and begin interviews as soon as the staffing and budget questions are settled.