Safety-Service Director Lori Cope presented the Mansfield Christian boys varsity soccer team with a proclamation from the mayor on Tuesday, recognizing their outstanding work for their state championship win this year. This is the team’s first time as the State Final Champions. Superintendent Dr. Cy Smith thanked the council for recognizing their team and supporting them over the years.
“We have appreciated the city-wide support. It’s really wonderful to see how this was embraced by the community,” said Smith. “Thank you for acknowledging us in this way.”
In other council activity, Lee Tasseff of the Mansfield/Richland County Convention and Visitors Bureau brought to the board an annual report on the activities of the visitor’s bureau.
“Our job is to make money for the community…to add more money to the economy. We are an economic development entity that focuses on tourism,” stated Tasseff.
Tasseff offered up some remarkable statistics. “We support 4,349 jobs, full and part-time with a payroll of $85 million; spending of $290.4 million left here by visitors [annually]; and tourism is the number four employer collectively in Richland County.”
Councilwoman at-large Ellen Haring thanked Tasseff for personally providing the city with updates and for the incredible work the convention and visitors bureau has done for the community’s economic development.
“Bill 273 will provide extra revenue for you when the bill is confirmed tonight and you’re also in the budget for 2015,” Haring told Tasseff. Bill 14-273 would provide an increase in the estimated occupancy tax revenue. “There was a hotel that paid late, so we have an additional $20,000 to be divided up between the city, Main Street Mansfield, and the Convention and Visitors Bureau,” said Haring.
Bill 14-273 passed eight to zero.
The one piece of legislation that received the most discussion was the long-term Financial Planning Policy which was up for a vote. The purpose of the bill is to put into place a 5-year financial plan which would help to “ensure the city’s on-going financial sustainability beyond a single budget cycle,” read the wording of the bill.
Questions were raised as to the amount of control Finance Director Linn Steward would have over the forecast and how much impact it would have on the budget. Also, other council members wanted to know how bound they would be to the forecast if their budgetary needs changed over time.
Steward responded to council that the purpose of the policy is to “have a forecast that is completed and presented to the council annually. I think that’s what most successful cities do. The forecast does not have any bearing on the budget… it’s just an informational tool.”
The bill passed seven to one.
Mansfield/Richland County Convention and Visitors Bureau supports 4,349 jobs, full and part-time with a payroll of $85 million; spending of $290.4 million left in the county by visitors [annually]; and tourism is the number four employer collectively in Richland County.
