THE DAILY STAR
Otsego County was among
many counties last week
where officials learned they
will not receive state tourism
grants this year, county tourism
director Deborah Taylor
said.
The grants, which have
been awarded annually for
more than two decades,
would have augmented the
county’s advertising campaign:
``Believe it or not, this
is Cooperstown.’’ Taylor said
she had hoped to receive
$50,000.
``I knew there was a possibility
of this, so we have a
Plan B of how to spend the
money we do have,’’ she said
Friday.
The county, which approved
a $225,000 advertising
campaign a few weeks
ago, will have less to spend
on advertising for the fall
season, she said.
Private partners in the
county’s program have
contributed more money
this year, which should help
offset the loss, she noted.
``It will hurt, and we’ll do
our best without it, but I
don’t think it’s wise to cut
funding for an industry that
generates so much money in
sales tax and bed tax,’’ Taylor
said.
In Otsego County, home of
the National Baseball Hall of
Fame, The Farmers’ Museum
and Glimmerglass Opera,
among other attractions,
tourism accounts for about
one-third of the county’s
$30 million annual sales tax
receipts, Taylor said.
``It’s short-sighted on the
state’s part because the state
shares in the sales tax,’’ she
said.
But the state is in crisis, according
to the Empire State
Development Corporation.
In a letter dated March 4
from its chairman, Dennis
Mullen, and Executive Director
Peter Davidson, Taylor
was informed that ``Due
to the unprecedented and
continuing fiscal crisis, we
regret to inform you that the
2010 New York Tourism and
Matching Grant Program has
been cancelled.
``To be clear: the matching
grant funding included in the
2009-2010 budget will not
be awarded. Empire State
Development will continue
to pay prior year awards that
remain outstanding.
``If no new resources can
be identified in the fiscal year
2010-2011, we anticipate not
being able to support the
matching grants program in
2011.’’
