County officials said they are not able to help in getting details of how the Chattanooga Visitors Bureau is spending $8.7 million per year, including almost $7.2 million that comes directly from the county in hotel/motel taxes. That amount is rising each year.
CVB President Bob Doak earlier declined to allow Chattanoogan.com to inspect detailed spending records of the bureau on such items as travel, advertising, consultants, lobbyists, furnishings and employee bonuses.
He provided limited selected information - mainly facts touting accomplishments of the CVB.
County Mayor Jim Coppinger earlier said he would contact Mr.
Doak to discuss making the information available.
He noted that county spending records are an open book, and reporters do not have to file open records requests.
Then came an email from County Attorney Rheubin Taylor to Chattanoogan.com saying the county could not help.
Attorney Taylor said, "In response to your Tennessee Open Records Act inquiry to Hamilton County, please be advised that the County’s Finance Department will provide you with the annual audits of the CVB’s finances that Hamilton County has received for the years 2008 through 2015, and we understand that the CVB’s 990’s are on the Guide Star website (www.guidestar.org) as have been viewed by Hamilton County’s Audit Department.
"According to CTAS and the Tennessee Office of Open Records, those are all the public records that Hamilton County has available for inspection and/or copying.
"According to my understanding of the Tennessee Open Records Act (T.C.A. Section 10-7-503(d)(1)), since the CVB is a non-profit organization it is only required to provide annual audits which shall be open for public inspection."