County Commission Finance Committee Chairman Tim Boyd said in a report on the Chattanooga Convention and Visitors Bureau that bonuses pad the overall pay of some top CVB officials.
Commissioner Boyd, who studied records in the county auditor's office about the CVB for 2013-2014, said he found "tens of thousands of dollars in bonuses for the president and vice president."
He also said there were "salary increases exceeding 20 percent in a single year."
The county auditor's office has not done another full audit of the CVB since that 2013-14 inspection.
A current 2017 CVB budget lists president Bob Doak making $175,000 per year and Ed Dolliver, vice president of sales, is at $130,000.
However, Commissioner Boyd found that back in July of 2013, their overall pay was much more. Mr. Doak was being paid an overall $204,152 and Mr. Dolliver was getting an overall $152,918.
It's not possible for the public to find out about bonuses or any other details of the way the CVB spends hotel/motel tax money it gets directly from the county because it won't release any detailed spending information. The CVB is budgeting for $7,178,464 from the hotel/motel tax fund this year. Its total income is $8,409,530. The CVB apparently is spending every penny - listing its expenses for the current year at $8,409,530.
The CVB is paying attorney Phillip Whitaker to seek to block any release of the information.
County Mayor Jim Coppinger, who sits on the CVB board, said he cannot help get the detailed information. He said he "would be surprised" if there is any mis-spending of money at the Visitors Bureau.
Commissioner Boyd said, "The CVB has its own appointed 30+ member Board of (volunteer) Directors. However it seems the CVB president/CEO spends money at his own discretion. According to the Hamilton County Purchasing Department Director, Ms. Gail Ropo, the CVB has never asked her department to assist in the procurement of any goods or services. This stands in stark contrast to the operating procedures of Hamilton County government where any purchases of $25,000 or more must follow the Hamilton County procurement procedures and be approved by the Commission."
Citing CVB spending on salaries, travel, furnishings, attorneys, consultants and other items, he said, "It is all spent with no accountability to the very board of elected officials who entrusted the CVB with all of the millions of tax dollars collected through the Hotel/Motel Tax.
"If the CVB was funded with private dollars, earned or donated, there would be no reason for this report. However when any agency is entrusted with the responsibility of managing tax dollars there must be the highest level of accountability and transparency. This does not seem to be the case with the CVB when they are repeatedly asked for copies of all of their financials by the media and refuse to share the information. Neither the county auditor’s reports, CVB’s 990 nor the CVB public financial statements indicate how CVB’s staff is managing (or mismanaging) the citizens’ tax dollars.
"CVB does not follow Hamilton County government’s 31-page policy on the use of county credit cards for travel and expenses. In fact, charges made during FY2014 by CVB’s staff on the CVB travel card indicate the CVB staff does not even follow its own travel policy, and, as reported by the county auditor, the president/CEO of CVB approves all travel expenses which in FY2014 amounted to over $314,000.00."