Through a public record request, the Independent News acquired the Chamber’s emails regarding the Escambia Tourism Development Commission. As I wrote earlier, Ed Schroeder was doing the research on moving the TDC out from under his employer, Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, under the instructions of Denis McKinnon, TDC chairmen.
For McKinnon to want to look at the issue and even involve the hotel owners isn’t wrong and well within his authority. It does make sense to look at other options, and the hotel owners have been upset for years about bed taxes subsidizing the Civic Center. The Chamber is taking near $200,000 annually for administration. Also the Perdido Key Chamber uses TDC funds to run much its operations, according one source. So hotel owners haven’t been happy with how funds have been diverted away from tourism marketing.
While Schroeder didn’t tell Jim Hizer, Pensacola Chamber president/CEO, or the executive committee, the chamber’s tourism chairman Harlan Butler was included in some of the emails. Butler didn’t mention the proposed move to Hizer either.
Earlier today, Hizer announced to the Chamber board that Schroeder is on administrative leave. This issue isn’t over.
Here are the emails: Tourism Emails
