On January 25 Town Council passed a bylaw to remove Schedule B from the Business License at its regular meeting.
Travel Drumheller’s funding came as a result of Bylaw #04-15 Schedule B that was passed in 2015. The Bylaw was mandatory and some of the hotels and motels felt this was unfair. The small room fee of 2% was paid by tourists and travellers, which provided the funding for Travel Drumheller to promote tourism for the valley.
Travel Drumheller has no existing form of mandatory funding now and has to come up with ways to raise revenue in order to exist.
Mayor Terry Yemen said, “There is still funding available to them, just a different venue and method. Before it was mandatory, regulated through a bylaw, now it isn’t. The owner/operators said they would participate if it was volunteer, and now its time for them to step up.”
Initial projections for funding from the destination market fee of close to $400,000 were not realized. The 2015 budget was prepared without any history to base their operational, advertising and marketing costs.
Councillor Pat Kolafa was the only member vote to keep schedule B. Kolafa said, “While initial projections were off base, I believe that this was a sound mechanism to market the Valley to grow the industry. It would be funded, not through local tax dollars, but through visitors to the Valley. Council has made a decision, and we all hope that Travel Drumheller prospers."
Travel Drumheller Chair of the Marketing Committee Carrie Lunde spoke at the Council Meeting with ideas on how to raise funds to operate and still be able to market and advertise. Lunde explained that some of the hotels and motels have verbally said they voluntarily support Travel Drumheller.
With the removal of Schedule B, it was suggested by Town Council to get this commitment in writing.
Travel Drumheller presented a proposed draft budget for 2016 suggesting funding in the area of $50,000 from the Town of Drumheller. Council wishes to work with Travel Drumheller to agree on the level of funding it is able to provide.
