Local Government / Tourism

TDC Members Push for Clearer Communication Between Clerk’s Office and Tourism Agencies

Reimbursement delays and unexplained payment cuts prompt council member David Bear to call for direct dialogue with Clerk Pam Childers.

The Escambia County Tourist Development Council convened Tuesday, April 21, and members discussed a persistent problem: tourism-funded agencies struggling to get reimbursed for work they’ve already done on the county’s behalf—and often can’t find out why.

TDC member David Bear raised the issue, telling fellow members that organizations funded through tourist development tax dollars are seeing reimbursement checks that don’t match what they submitted, with little or no explanation attached.

“They’re working on behalf of the county, and they can’t seem to get reimbursed. So now they have what I’m going to call a tax, which is an interest rate on top of a line of credit to be able to operate.”
— David Bear, TDC Council Member

Bear’s concern centers on agencies like Visit Pensacola, which must take out lines of credit to cover operating costs while waiting on reimbursements. He argued that when the Clerk’s office withholds or reduces payments—even for expenditures that are contractually approved and budgeted—it imposes a financial burden on organizations whose mission is to promote Escambia County as a destination.

What’s Getting in the Way

Commissioner Ashlee Hofberger, who sits on the TDC, acknowledged the problem and outlined what her office has learned through meetings with the Clerk’s office and Visit Pensacola. The core issues:

• Reimbursement submissions sometimes arrive with missing documentation from the required checklist, resulting in returns without a clear explanation.
• Some contracts have come through with a different logo or subcontractor name at the top—raising questions that the Clerk’s office has not consistently communicated back.
• The Clerk’s office has been requesting deliverables attached to approved contracts as additional documentation—a requirement that hadn’t been clearly spelled out to submitting agencies.

Hofberger claimed that progress has been made, and recent submissions appear to be moving more smoothly. She agreed to request a copy of the Clerk’s reimbursement checklist and share it with TDC members so all parties can see exactly what’s required.

A Call for Direct Dialogue

Bear pushed further, noting that years ago, the Clerk’s office would send a representative to TDC meetings to answer questions directly. He said routing everything through Hofberger as a liaison isn’t sustainable—and Hofberger agreed.

• TDC Chair Jason Nicholson said he would reach out to Clerk Pam Childers to gauge her willingness to attend future meetings or send a dedicated staff member. Hofberger stated Childers has at least one—and possibly two—staff members specifically assigned to TDT-related work, making a direct presence at TDC meetings a practical option.

No formal vote was taken on the matter. The checklist is expected to be distributed ahead of the next TDC meeting.

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