Bill > SB281

This bill creates the Port Wentworth Convention and Visitors Bureau Authority, a five-member board appointed annually by the city council to promote tourism and conventions in Port Wentworth, Georgia. Board members must be at least 18 years old and either residents of the city or local business owners, with at least one member being a hotel/motel owner or manager. The authority will operate without compensation, elect its own officers annually, and have the power to hire an executive director who will manage daily operations. The board's primary duties include promoting tourism, investigating tourism development strategies, advising the city council on tourism initiatives, and advancing the city's tourism interests. The authority will have broad powers to acquire property, enter contracts, apply for grants, accept donations, and conduct business, but cannot bind the city to financial obligations. The city may fund the authority through hotel-motel tax revenues, and the city council retains the right to inspect the authority's books and operations. All properties owned by the authority will be considered public properties and may be exempt from certain taxes. The board will operate transparently, keeping public minutes and conducting meetings according to Robert's Rules of Order, with three members constituting a quorum for decision-making.

Government Affairs

https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70913