Budget not as bleak as feared for Prince William / Manassas tourism agency

Agency awaits budget decision from Manassas City 

The budget picture is not as bad as was feared for the agency that promotes Prince William County and Manassas to tourists and travel writers.

Prince William officials passed a new $1 billion operating budget for fiscal year 2016 that takes effect July 1. Discover Prince William / Manassas (formerly the convention and visitors bureau) gets about $1 million from the county to operate next year. That money will be used mostly for salaries to pay those who give tours to travel writers who pen stories about why our area is such a great place to visit, hold events to talk up the region, and oversee the day to day operation of the agency.

While $1 million is generous, it’s about $50,000 less than what the agency received from the county last year. It’s $185,000 less than what it requested from county officials before the budget process began in earnest this spring.

“I think we as an agency have really shown what the [return on investment] us using the transient occupancy tax,” said Discover Prince William / Manassas Executive Director Anne-Marie Maher.

The agency touts the fact their sole funding source is the transient occupancy, or hotels tax, charged to those who – you guessed it – book a hotel room in the county or Manassas City.

But Maher and her crew are still waiting for the other shoe to drop. The city also partially funds “Discover,” and did so last year to the tune of $87,000. Earlier this month, Manassas City Manager Patrick Pate told me the city won’t cut the amount it spends on promoting the city, but it wants to make sure all those dollars are spent wisely.

Folks over at Discover Prince William / Manassas are wondering what Pates’s comments mean. It’s important to note the city has it’s won agencies devoted to promoting Manassas, like the economic development office and Historic Manassas, Inc. located in the city’s old train station (they’re the folks who put on all the fun festivals you visit from spring to fall).

“Discover” is also wondering what they might have to cut if all of the money from the city doesn’t come through.

“Right now, I’m not sure what item we would cut because we simply don’t know what the budget picture is from the city,” Maher said.

Earlier month, Maher said the closure of a visitor’s center in Occoquan, a reduction in staff, and a scale back of marketing efforts to promote the region. All are still possible, depending on what city leaders decide when they pass their annual budget, said Maher. A public hearing on the matter is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 27 at City Hall.

Maher added the county got back $12 for every $1 spent on promoting the region to tourists. Destinations like the National Museum of the Marine Corps continue to attract travelers from across the nation. And, events like the Quicken Loans National to be played at Gainesville’s at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club – with it’s $6.7 million purse, and benefitting the Tiger Woods Foundation – is another sure bet that will bring people to the region, said Maher.