HOLLIDAYSBURG — Blair County commissioners voted Thursday to advertise a public hearing on their proposed decertification of Explore Altoona as the county’s tourist promotion agency, an action aimed at ending the county’s allocation of bed tax revenue to the agency.

While commissioners Dave Kessling and Amy Webster did not identify a specific date for the decertification hearing, Webster said one will be included in a notice to be advertised next week.

By law, commissioners must hold a public hearing on decertification no less than seven days before voting on a resolution to decertify.

The law also requires commissioners to have concurring support for decertification from municipal leaders representing at least 65% of the county’s population.

As of a week ago, Kessling and Webster had that support, based on votes cast in Altoona, Duncansville, Hollidaysburg, Allegheny Township, Logan Township, Frankstown Township, Antis Township and Tunnelhill.

Leaders in other Blair County municipalities, meanwhile, either tabled action or declined to vote on the commissioners’ request for a resolution in support of decertifying Explore Altoona.

Kessling and Webster, who last year revealed their interest in decertification, have spoken in favor of reassigning the TPA designation to the Blair Alliance for Business and Economic Development — as formed last year by a merger of the Blair County Chamber of Commerce and Altoona Blair County Development Corp. Through the change, they’re expecting to see bed tax revenue used for a combination of marketing and development of recreational assets, particularly recreational rail trails, to bring in visitors.

Blair County currently levies a 5% bed tax on those who stay overnight inside the county, with revenue divided based on a formula approved a few years ago. Under that formula, Explore Altoona is currently receiving about $780,000 annually. Additional bed tax revenue is allocated to a Ballpark Improvement Fund, the Blair County Convention Center and to the county.

Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.