Residents Raise Concerns About Combining Economic Development and Tourism Director Posts

Some St. Charles residents have spoken out against a of the director of the Greater St. Charles Convention and Visitors Bureau with the position of Director of Economic Development. 

The proposal would save the city money by eliminating a position that had traditionally been paid between $95,000 and $115,000 a year. Current Director of Economic Development David Leezer would lead both departments, which would remain separate. His new salary would be $108,000.

St. Charles resident Virginia van Berkum, who has a background in marketing, spoke out against the consolidation of the two positions at the Feb. 7 and Feb. 21 city council meetings and asked the council to table the bill.

"I believe in this city and I believe that consolidation will under serve existing businesses and hinder future growth," she said on Feb. 21. 

Van Berkum said something significant is being destroyed with the combination. She said the suggestion that the combination makes sense because both positions are about "selling St. Charles" is akin to saying that the mayor should do all the hiring for the city instead of having a director of HR.

"It's like saying, let the quarterback lead the cheerleaders too because it's all about winning the game," she said. "I find that rationale ... to be rather thin."

Van Berkum said if the city hired someone with significant marketing experience and leadership qualities, it would have two leaders in place to provide innovation and coordination of programs that is lacking.

Resident Theresa Boville said at the Feb. 7 meeting that she felt there should have been more time and public feedback about the proposed changes.

With the impending resident Lou Kampelman said on Feb. 7 that the city needs a full-time dedicated person in each area: one to keep businesses from moving out of the city and one to attract tourists to the area.

"It takes two different cycles of people to do this," he said.

Steve Powell, the former director of the Greater St. Charles Convention and Visitors Bureau, wrote a column in the St. Charles Suburban Journals that suggested combining the two positions would be 'watering down tourism efforts' to save money.

"This is not a bad move from a budget perspective; however, the loss in market share and, ultimately, economic impact could far surpass the savings if the skill set necessary to manage tourism does not exist," he wrote in the article.

A memo to the St. Charles City Council prepared by Director of Administration Michael Spurgeon and Leezer pointed out that some people may feel threatened by proposed changes and think the economic development program may be watered down or see the merger as a downgrade for tourism. 

"Those who believe this fail to understand the capabilities of our staff," the memo said. Read the full memo here under bill 10687.

At the Feb. 21 city council meeting, Council President Mike Klinghammer asked a sponsor to hold the bill to the next city council meeting.The council agreed to hold the bill until March 6.

"We want to make sure everybody understands all the implications of it," he said.