Visitor guides await travelers at the Kenai Municipal Airport, Thursday, June 20, 2019, in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)

Visitor guides await travelers at the Kenai Municipal Airport, Thursday, June 20, 2019, in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)

Borough defunds tourism marketing council

Pierce vetoed the $100,000 in funding for the Kenai Peninsula Tourism Marketing Council

The Kenai Peninsula Tourism Marketing Council — a nonprofit, public-private partnership aimed at promoting the Kenai Peninsula as a “world class visitor destination”— was defunded Tuesday evening when the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly voted to sustain a budgetary, line-item veto made by Mayor Charlie Pierce earlier that day.

Pierce vetoed the $100,000 in funding for the council, a June 18 memo to the assembly said.

Because of the veto, Pamela Parker, a board member of the tourism marketing council, said the organization’s website will go into disrepair, due to lack of funding for digital marketing. She said search engine optimization and Facebook marketing will also cease without funds from the borough.

“I guarantee you, folks from Anchorage and out of state are not going to be seeing the Kenai Peninsula at the top of their search when they look for things to do in Alaska, and that is going to be a direct correlation to the funding that you just vetoed,” Parker told the assembly Tuesday.

In his veto memo, Pierce said it was time for the borough to market itself in new ways.

“I believe it is time for the borough to go in a different direction by using a competitive solicitation process to hire an organization to market the areas of the borough outside of the cities,” the memo reads. “This would provide an avenue to explore different options available for this marketing that include promoting other forms of economic development and a better understanding of borough functions.”

In his proposed FY 2020 budget, Pierce zeroed out the $100,000 marketing council funds provided in years past. The assembly amended the $100,000 back into the budget, before they passed it in May.

In FY 2019, the borough provided the council with $100,000. In the FY 2018 budget, the borough supported the council with $305,980 in funds, and $340,00 in FY 2017.

Tuesday night, Assembly Vice President Dale Bagley moved to override the veto, saying he was disappointed the mayor cut the funding.

“We need to get more tourism here on the Kenai Peninsula,” he said.

Duane Bannock of the Uptown Motel in Kenai, was one of a couple of residents who urged the assembly to not override the veto.

“Public tax dollars have no place in subsidizing my advertising at the Uptown Motel,” he said. “When you take tax dollars and give them to a private organization and then the private organization uses those tax dollars to subsidize my competitors — ladies and gentlemen that’s what the mafia does. That’s what mafia insurance is and it’s wrong.”

Parker clarified for the assembly and audience about where borough money goes. She says no money from the borough is used to create the visitor guide, but that it’s entirely funded by the council’s members and advertising sales.

“The $100,000 goes directly toward digital marketing, which was a directive we received last year,” she said. “We are trying to reach in- and out-of-state tourists while they’re Googling what to do in Alaska.”

Executive Director of the Kenai Peninsula Tourism Marketing Council, Dennis Meadows, spoke to the partnership the organization has with the borough.

“It’s a partnership,” he said. “It’s a partnership between the private sector — between those of us that believe in what we’re doing — and the public sector, because it affects us all.”

Before taking a vote, assembly member Kelly Cooper spoke in support of dedicating money to tourism marketing, noting recent public comment regarding the recently passed bed tax.

“We heard the industry say ‘we want money to be dedicated to tourism,’” she said.

Assembly member Norm Blakeley said he would support the mayor’s veto.

“(Visitors) come here anyhow,” he said. “They come here for one reason: to enjoy the fishing. I don’t think (the tourism marketing council has) ever proven to me that what they do shows any metrics that they really make a big difference.”

Pierce suggested putting the decision to offer funds to the tourism marketing council, the Kenai Peninsula Economic Development District and the Small Business Development Group up to the voters.

“Let’s put it on the ballot,” he said. “Let see if the voters in this community — whether they want their tax dollars to go to KPEDD, KPTMC, and then the small business development group. Let’s see how the voters feel about it. Let’s put it on the ballot.”

After the assembly voted to sustain the veto, Parker expressed her disappointment at the next opportunity for public comment.

“Charlie, I’m disappointed,” she said. “I think a lot of local business owners and a lot of students in the school system are going to be very disappointed when they start to see a decrease in that sales tax revenue and those visitors to the area. I believe you have just cut off that lifeblood to the peninsula. People might not be coming here because of the fish, but we’re telling them about all of the other wonderful things they can do while they’re here on the peninsula. They can hike. They can eat at a restaurant. They can walk the beach and look for starfish down in Homer.”

The mayor’s veto was narrowly sustained with a five to four vote. Six votes on the assembly are needed to override a veto.

More in News

tease
Voznesenka School graduates 4

A commencement ceremony was held at Land’s End on Monday.

Graduates celebrate at the end of the Kenai Central High School commencement ceremony in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
‘Fight as the generation who will stand tall’

Kenai Central High School graduates 113.

Guest speaker Donica Nash gave out candy matching each student, including this package of JOYRIDE to Gideon Pankratz, at the River City Academy graduation ceremony Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at Skyview Middle School just outside of Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
River City Academy graduates 9

The school serves students in seventh through 12th grade and has an enrollment of about 80

Nikiski graduates view their slideshow during a commencement ceremony at Nikiski/Middle High School in Nikiski, Alaska, on Monday, May 19, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
‘We need to change the world’

Nikiski Middle/High School graduates 31 on Monday.

State Sen. Lyman Hoffman (D-Bethel) exits the Senate Chambers after the Senate on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, adjourns until next January. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Alaska Legislature adjourns a day early in ‘smoothest ending in 20 years’ following months of budget battles

Lawmakers speed through final votes on veto override on education funding bill, budget with $1,000 PFD.

The Homer Chamber of Commerce’s float in the Fourth of July parade on Thursday, July 4, 2024, celebrates their 75th anniversary in Homer, Alaska, in the spirit of the parade’s theme, “Historical Homer.” A measure that would have increased special event fees for those looking to host gatherings in city-maintained spaces was voted down during a May 12, 2025, meeting of the Homer City Council. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Rep. Andi Story (D-Juneau), Rep. Rebecca Himschoot (I-Sitka), and Rep. Sarah Vance (R-Homer) watch the vote tally during a veto override joint session on an education bill Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
Education funding boost stands as lawmakers successfully override Dunleavy veto

Three of the peninsula’s legislators voted to override the veto.

Jeff Dolifka and his children perform the ceremonial ribbon-cutting for the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Kenai Peninsula’s Royce and Melba Roberts Campus in Kenai, Alaska, on Saturday, May 17, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
‘So proud of what we accomplished’

New Boys and Girls Clubs campus dedicated Saturday with a ribbon-cutting and donor recognition.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy speaks to reporters about his decision to veto an education funding bill earlier this session at the Alaska State Capitol on Thursday, April 17, 2025. He vetoed a second such bill on Monday. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Dunleavy vetoes 2nd bill increasing education funding; override vote by legislators likely Tuesday

Bill passed by 48-11 vote — eight more than needed — but same count for override not certain.

Most Read