Supervisors Want More Info Ahead Of Visit Tuolumne County Funding Vote

Sonora, CA — The board of supervisors in Tuolumne County collectively agreed that they would like to fully dive into the finances and goals of Visit Tuolumne County before any actions to potentially reduce the group’s funding over the long haul.

It was a major topic on today’s agenda. The end recommendation was made by Board Chair Anaiah Kirk, who stated that he needed to better review Visit Tuolumne County’s budget, goals and priorities. He proposed that the existing contract (expiring at the end of the month) be extended by six months, and that a public workshop be held in the fall to review the issue more in-depth. We reported earlier that CAO Tracie Riggs proposed ahead of today’s meeting that the Visit Tuolumne County allocation be reduced from the roughly 20% of Transient Occupancy Tax revenue ($1.75 million this year) to a set amount that would gradually drop to $500,000 in about five years.

The board meeting room was packed with people who were interested in the issue. Kirk voiced his opinion at the very start of the conversation, and the four other board members collectively agreed to the plan. Kirk indicated that he wanted to put his proposal out there to avert potential hours of public comment on the topic (and then no decision). Complicating matters, the Visit Tuolumne County discussion was scheduled for 10am this morning. However, it was delayed until 11:40am because other topics took longer than anticipated. After the board members collectively agreed to Kirk’s plan, the public comment period was still opened for about 10 minutes prior to the noon hour. Four people came up to speak, including Visit Tuolumne County CEO Lisa Mayo. She supported Supervisor Kirk’s proposal, and said that her group is an “open book,” and would like the opportunity to later talk about the benefits of investing in local tourism efforts.

Two others also spoke in support of the visitor’s bureau. A fourth community member, Aaron Rasmussen, was sharply in opposition. He referred to Visit Tuolumne County as a “scam” and like a “mafia” and encouraged the board to end all funding for the group and reallocate it to other county programs.

Supervisor Kirk then polled the audience to see how many more wished to comment, and there were five people who raised their hands. He noted that he will reopen the public comment period after the noon hour so that they can speak, but had already indicated that no long-term funding decisions would be made today, and earlier stressed that more public comment will take place when the workshop is held in the fall.

Other items discussed today: 

The supervisors approved the final reading of a new vegetation management ordinance. The vote was 3-0-2 with supervisors Kirk and Jaron Brandon choosing to abstain because they had concerns.

The board also approved a revised agreement with CAL Fire taking into account a three-year federal SAFER contract that will bring $9 million in additional revenue spanning a three-year period. A 2020 contract provided 11 firefighters, and the revised contract has 37 full-time firefighters. It notably boosts the staff at the Columbia, Groveland and Mono Vista stations. The vote was 5-0 in favor.