Local tourism backers defend consultant and present year‑of‑growth for Bucyrus marketing

Two speakers at the Economic Development Committee pushed back on recent criticism of a former tourism consultant and outlined recent gains in local tourism marketing.

Randy Fisher, president of Norton Bicentennial Inc., spoke during citizen participation to correct statements made at a prior meeting about consultant Elaine Naples. Fisher said Ms. Naples’ 2024 consultant compensation was $41,666.70 plus $2,105.60 in reimbursements (total $43,705.60) and that her contract was with the BACC (the chamber), not the tourism advisory council. He disputed assertions that she donated consulting work to Norton Park and described events she helped arrange, including a screening of a documentary tied to a Lincoln Highway route that brought about 150 attendees to an October event.

At the same committee meeting, a chamber/tourism official identified as Becky summarized tourism accomplishments since 2024: restoring the tourism landing page into a standalone site (visitbucyrus.org), launching a newsletter and social media program, producing monthly videos in partnership with the county, running radio spots, and attending Ohio Tourism Day. She said the city’s tourism effort established new statewide partnerships, produced content for a July 2024 solar-eclipse landing page, and activated downtown with concerts and events that increased foot traffic and retail activity.

Becky said the chamber and tourism entities plan to expand live downtown entertainment in 2026 (two concerts per month) and encouraged committee members to consider sponsorships and licensing issues for performances.

Next steps: committee members asked for follow-up documentation on invoices and analytics; the chamber/tourism staff offered to provide additional financial and performance data on request.