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Committee backs allowing departments to spend within budget; staff proposes marketing-review committee
Summary
Finance staff proposed creating a marketing-review committee to vet advertising expenses above a threshold; several members said departments should proceed with in-budget marketing but supported the idea of a review panel to advise the finance director on larger or unusual expenditures.
Finance staff proposed forming a small marketing-review committee to provide marketing expertise and consistency when the county evaluates advertising, sponsorships and promotions.
The proposed committee would include the tourism committee chair, the expo-center committee chair and three private-sector marketing professionals nominated by the county mayor and approved by the county commission. Staff suggested the committee review advertising expenses above a threshold (an example $500 threshold was discussed) and provide guidance on return on investment and consistency across county-sponsored promotions.
Several members questioned the need for an extra approval step when the expense is already included in the department’s approved budget. “If it’s in their budget, they make the call,” one member said; others agreed department heads should generally proceed so long as expenditures remain inside an authorized line item. Staff said the committee would act in an advisory role and that the finance director would act on the committee’s recommendation.
The committee expressed general support for the advisory approach and for letting departments run routine marketing from their budgets while asking the review panel to advise on larger or unusual expenditures.
