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Council reviews OBHA budget and questions $3,000 monthly social-media retainer
Summary
The council reviewed the Oldtown Hyum Business Association's proposed use of 40% of the hotel/motel excise tax, focusing on social-media and promotion expenses; OBHA representatives said the spending supports ongoing tourism-marketing and organizational functions but membership levels limit fund flexibility.
Council reviewed the annual renewal of the hotel/motel excise tax distribution and the Oldtown Hyum Business Association (OBHA) budget that would receive 40% of the distribution if renewed.
Tyrone, representing OBHA, presented the association's proposed budget and described ongoing marketing work — a website, social-media campaigns, and participation in regional promotional programs — intended to keep the city visible to tourists even when events are sparse. "We have a flat fee that we pay our social media people … it's $3,000 a month is what we pay our social media person," Tyrone said when asked to justify the line item.
Councilmember Garnet questioned the size of that allocation, asking whether $3,000 monthly retainer was warranted given the city's current level of events. Garnet argued that fees paid from public funds should approximate the city's regulatory or promotional cost and not be excessive. Tyrone and staff explained OBHA maintains two restricted accounts (promotion and organizational maintenance) that cannot be intermixed; membership levels affect OBHA’s ability to fund certain activities without additional dues.
Council and OBHA discussed membership outreach strategies, potential promotional items and a mural/photo-op as part of broader branding efforts; council members suggested OBHA pursue more business recruitment and confirmed some property owners had given verbal permission for facade art. Tyrone said membership growth would increase the association's capacity to run programs and pay operational costs without relying solely on excise-distribution funds.
The council did not adopt changes to the distribution at the meeting but asked questions and signaled an interest in reviewing usage and benchmarks; staff and OBHA offered to return with more information and membership-growth plans.
