The Perrysburg Farmers Market. (supplied photo)
PERRYSBURG – The farmers market may not be back next year unless new funding methods are secured.
Councilman Mark Weber announced at Tuesday’s meeting that Visit Perrysburg Market Days will hold its last event Sept. 21.
Weber is the chairman of council’s finance and economic development committee.
He said the topic was raised at the committee’s meeting on July 11 during the quarterly report from Christine Best, who is executive director of Visit Perrysburg (formerly the Perrysburg Convention and Visitors Bureau).
Weber said that Best and the board of directors for Visit Perrysburg have voted to discontinue management of the Thursday farmers market at the end of this season.
The market has been averaging 60 vendors and 17 food trucks with upwards to 6,000 visitors, Best reported at the July 11 meeting.
The cancellation is due to the city fees that were mandated last fall and went into effect this year.
There has been no interest from other entities to continue the market, Weber said, if the fees would still have to be paid.
The city this year started charging Visit Perrysburg for the cost of police coverage, garbage removal and cleanup. The average combined cost was estimated to be $24,000.
If council commits to a five-year agreement providing Visit Perrysburg with 70% of the current 3% bed tax and waive all fees, the group would hire an events and marketing coordinator to promote the city, Weber said.
According to comments made during the committee meeting by the finance director, that agreement would take $150,000 from the general fund.
The 3% hotel/motel tax is currently split in half, between the city and the CVB.
A conversation needs to occur between city administration and Visit Perrysburg, Weber said.
Councilmember Tim McCarthy suggested someone from the administration negotiate with Visit Perrysburg.
“If you look at the solution that was offered that night, which is to provide 70% of the current 3% bed tax and waive the fees, I think it’s gilding the lily a little bit,” McCarthy said.
Mayor Tom Mackin said they were unable to agree upon a counterproposal that was in line with the request.
“I think we all would agree we want to continue market days,” McCarthy said. “If we come up with a manageable way economically to do that, let’s do it.”
Mackin, who is on the Visit Perrysburg board, voted against canceling the market without a solution.
“We think we can work out something that is fair to the citizens and to the CVB, so it has the funding stream … to support it,” he said.
Best is out of town until Friday and was not immediately available for comment.
