Oakdale quarreling over funds for tourism

OAKDALE -- City officials and hotel owners are trying to promote this quaint city with its historic downtown, dinner train and museum as a tourist destination.

But the City Council, Chamber of Commerce, hotel owners and the city's tourism board have spent a lot of their time recently in a quarrel over how the chamber spent the tourism board's money.

The chamber has even pulled out from administering and spending the tourism board funds, but that has not stopped the questions over how it spent more than $150,000 in tourism money over several years.

"I'm not saying they did anything wrong," said Oakdale resident Ramona Howard, who has called for a more detailed accounting. "But this is public money. If this money is supposed to be used for tourism then what did we get for it?"

The chamber has provided a summary to the City Council, but it does not provide much detail. For instance, the summary lists $12,500 for "media relations — press releases development and distribution."

Chamber of Commerce President Chris Elswick said the chamber complied with all city requirements when it administered the tourism funds. Chamber Chief Executive Officer Mary Guardiola stepped down from the tourism board and the chamber withdrew from administering the tourism funds several months ago.

Elswick said the chamber was not required to provide a detailed accounting, previous councils never asked for one, and the city's own documents state the city is responsible for tracking tourism board spending.

Elswick said the chamber developed annual spending plans with the tourism board and those plans were approved by the City Council. Additionally, Elswick said, the chamber provided annual reports to the council that included a summary of how the money was spent.

"For anyone today to say that the chamber 'should have known' and 'done more' are both disingenuous and just plain buck-passing expectations," Elswick wrote in a letter to The Bee. She also called the recent allegations against the chamber "disingenuous and based on an ignorance of the facts."

The City Council formed the tourism board three years ago. Its nonpaid members include Oakdale hotel owners. The owners charge a 2 percent room tax to finance the tourism board. The tax brings in about $60,000 annually.

The tourism board has been in the spotlight since Pat Paul was elected mayor in November 2010. Her mayoral platform includes developing Oakdale's potential as a tourism destination.

Paul and two people she recommended to the tourism board — Howard and Virginia Camacho — have been front and center in questioning the chamber.

The City Council appointed Camacho but did not appoint Howard. Those who opposed her appointment said it would create the appearance of a conflict of interest because her son, Jason Howard, serves on the council.

The finger-pointing has reached such a level that Councilmen Mike Brennan and Tom Dunlop have considered disbanding the tourism board, which Paul opposes.

Ramesh Mistry, who owns the Holiday Inn Express and serves as the tourism board chairman, said the hotel owners don't want to sever their ties with the city and want to move forward.

"We want to keep it," he said. "This will help market the city of Oakdale."

Bee staff writer Kevin Valine can be reached at kvaline@modbee.com or (209) 578-2316.