The 2015 budget for the Geary County Convention and Visitors Bureau is down approximately 21 percent from the 2014 budget.

Connie Hall, CVB Director, went over the budget during the CVB Advisory Committee meeting Tuesday afternoon.

“Our 2015 budget was reduced $171,811 from 2014 for a total 2015 budget of $649,000. This is in line with projected income and we feel the 2015 budget will be received very favorably,” Hall said.

Hall further explained that all county departments were asked to thoroughly look at their budgets and be wise in anticipated spending and cut items that can be cut.

“We feel like we have met that mandate with this budget and accomplished a budget that is close to income and expenditures.”

Compiling the 2015 budget the CVB took the average income from the past four to five years and came up with the 2015 budget.

Hall said that the income predictions are very conservative and it’s not that they do not feel like there will be growth in the community but that there are conditions that effect that income.

“We have additional lodging on Fort Riley which take away, we don’t receive any transient guest tax. Long term stays over 20 days, we don’t receive transient guest tax.”

They do believe that the income will be higher than they projected but feel they need to be conservative at best.

Some of the items that they cut in the budget included cuts to the marketing and media campaign, the removal of a trade show feasibility study, the elimination of a show in Dallas and they did not estimate anything for raises.

Another cut that was made in order to keep there program sustainable was to community giving.

“There will be community giving, as well as, our marketing grant but it will not be at levels that people have seen in the past,” Hall added.

Funding for a proposed sports complex was also not included in the 2015 budget and Hall explained that it was because of the raise to the transient guest tax that was passed by the County Commission Monday.

“We believe that will be taken care of out of that fund.”

The CVB will next present the 2015 budget to the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors for approval before being sent to the Geary County Commission for final approval.