HOLLIDAYSBURG — A proposal to decertify Blair County’s tourism promotion agency drew criticism Thursday during a public hearing convened as one step in a process that’s been under debate since September.

Commissioners Dave Kessling and Amy Webster took no action Thursday after convening the public hearing required by state law when considering a proposed TPA decertification.

But commissioners are expected to vote sometime soon on decertification and to consider action that would name a TPA and initiate pursuit of the required municipal support to designate a TPA.

Solicitor Chris Furman said Thursday that commissioners could consider the Explore Altoona decertification vote as early as their meeting on Thursday, May 1, but they would still need to take additional steps to put a successor in place.

To name a successor, Furman said the county must have support from municipalities representing at least 50% of the county’s population, which was 122,822 in 2020.

For decertification, the county was required to collect support from municipalities representing at least 65% of its population. That was accomplished in mid-March.

Kessling and Webster convened Thursday’s hearing without fellow commissioner Laura Burke. In September, Burke said she was advised to abstain from discussions and votes because her husband’s law partner was Explore Altoona’s solicitor.

Of the approximately 20 people attending Thursday’s hearing, which lasted about 40 minutes, those who spoke were Explore Altoona leaders and supporters, who told Kessling and Webster that decertification would be a mistake.

“Explore Altoona has consistently promoted the whole package,” Executive Director Mark Ickes said during the hearing. “We have strong relations with the hotels, attractions and experiences we represent.”

Hampton Inn General Manager Jeffrey Cipriani praised Explore Altoona and Ickes for helping the Hampton Inn generate the greatest portion of the bed tax revenue.

“I’ve been in this industry for 31 years … This is going to be bad,” Cipriani said. “You just can’t focus on one thing and throw away the rest.”

Kessling and Webster, who in September revealed their interest in decertifying Explore Altoona, are on record in favor of assigning the county’s TPA responsibilities to the Blair Alliance for Business and Economic Growth — the organization formed last year through the merger of the Altoona Blair County Development Corp. and the Blair County Chamber of Commerce.

Since September, commissioners have referred to Blair Alliance as an agency that can promote the county and engage in developing new assets to bring people into the county.

But Explore Altoona supporters said they have no knowledge of any plan.

Dustin Smith, executive director of the Baker Mansion History Museum and Blair County Historical Society, referred to decertifying Explore Altoona as “incredibly short-sighted.” He proposed the county keep working with Explore Altoona and allocate more resources for whatever commissioners want to pursue.

“I think it’s a waste of time, trying to kill (Explore Altoona) in order to bring in a new one that will do 80 percent of what (Explore Altoona) does,” Smith said.

Jodi Cessna, who chairs Explore Altoona’s board of directors, also spoke at the hearing and asked what’s planned.

“If a new TPA is certified, they must get to work immediately,” she said.

Ickes indicated that Explore Altoona remains in full operation, but if decertified, it will begin making plans to dissolve. He said Explore Altoona already has summer marketing initiatives underway, which include distribution of its visitors guide to state welcome centers, turnpike service plazas and other locations.

“We’ll take it one day at a time,” Ickes said after the hearing, where he spoke of pride in how Explore Altoona has positioned Altoona and Blair County as an emerging travel destination.

After the hearing concluded, Furman said that a decertification vote may or may not have a designated effective date. He said it could be effective with the commissioners’ vote or upon a designated date.

Either way, Furman said the county will continue to collect the 5% bed tax. But distribution of that revenue ends when decertification takes effect, he said.

Based on the most recent numbers, the county received $1.36 million in bed tax revenue for the fiscal year stretching from Nov. 1, 2023, through

Oct. 31, 2024. With interest on that revenue, the county had $1.37 million in bed tax revenue. Based on a 2016 agreement, the county allocated $764,967 to Explore Altoona as the county’s tourism promotion agency. The rest of the money was divided among the county, the convention center and the ballpark.

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