The County Commission on Wednesday voted to shift $480,000 from the Tourism Co. to the Chattanooga Sports and Events Corporation.
The transfer of hotel/motel funds comes after it was claimed that the Tourism Co. was not working in alignment with the sports panel.
Commissioner Chip Baker last Wednesday said the tourism agency has been boosting salaries while reducing advertising. He said salaries are up 46 percent for the past four years, while advertising has gone from 24 percent to 18 percent of the budget.
He said numerous efforts have been made to get the Tourism Co. to work with the Sports and Events Corporation to no avail.
Commissioner Baker said Tim Morgan, who long headed the sports section of the Tourism Co., was fired in January 2025, then he was named to oversee the new panel.
Since then, he said there has been no collaboration between the new group and the sports wing of the Tourism Co.
Commissioner Baker said, “I’m concerned about the lack of tourism advertising and the lack of ability of the tourism staff to handle a myriad of sports events.”
Former Mayor Jon Kinsey told the commission last Wednesday that he agreed to serve as chairman of the Sports and Events Corporation board and “I’ve got a terrific board.”
He said it was Tim Morgan who had brought Ironman to Chattanooga. He added, “We just got Spain. They’re the #1 soccer team in the world. That puts us on the map.”
Mr. Kinsey said, “I called Barry (White, CEO of the Tourism Co. and said, ‘We need to work together.'”
But he said nothing happened. “They just thumb their nose at us.”
Mr. White said he would be glad to respond to issues raised privately. He said, “I’m proud of our team” and said there has been a focus on such issues as a sports facilities study and enlarging the Convention Center.
Commissioner David Sharpe questioned whether the commission should pull funds from the agency “six months into the budget year when contracts have been signed and they’ve hired people.”
The county included $500,000 in the current budget for the new Sports and Events Corporation.
At the time, County Mayor Wamp said Mr. Morgan had assembled a strong board of directors for the new venture.
County Mayor Wamp said one of the chief aims of the group would be to lead in the effort to locate a large new youth sports complex here. He said Chattanooga has long lost out in income spent at such tournaments at local restaurants, hotels and shops.
The resolution that was passed says:
1. Transfer of Appropriations The Hamilton County Commission hereby authorizes and approves the transfer of Four Hundred Eighty Thousand Dollars ($480,000) in the Fiscal Year 2026 Hotel/Motel Fund previously appropriated to the Chattanooga Tourism Company to the Sports and Events Corporation; and
2. Budgetary Adjustment The Hamilton County Chief Financial Officer is hereby authorized and directed to make the necessary budgetary adjustments to effectuate this transfer of appropriations within the Fiscal Year 2026 Hotel Motel Fund budget, with no change to the total amount of hotel/motel occupancy tax appropriations; and
3. Use of Funds Funds transferred pursuant to this resolution shall be used by the Sports and Events Corporation solely for purposes consistent with applicable state law and local restrictions governing the use of hotel/motel occupancy tax revenues.
Read the original story published on Chattanoogan.com here.