Over the past few weeks, the Newport City Council has spent a substantial amount of its time discussing the authorization of a Tourism Improvement District (TID). This discussion conflated the TID with other travel and tourism related efforts of the City, like our Sister City Program and Discover Newport, but it is distinctly different.
Newport’s TID is simply a special taxing district established to finance and run marketing campaigns for hotels in Newport. I believe the TID should be allowed to manage itself without the interference of elected officials and that our Council should instead be focused on more pressing issues that impact resident’s quality of life.
Under the existing structure, one Newport City Councilor sits on the board of the TID, directing how marketing dollars are spent. Among the TID’s recently approved marketing expenses are business class travel and rooms at a luxury hotel on Central Park in Manhattan for that Councilor.
These types of spending are part of why the state long ago moved away from elected legislators serving on quasi-public boards. Yet Newport remains a curious outlier: our TID is the only one in the State that designates an elected legislator – a City Councilor – as a board member.
Further, the TID is the only organization on which the City Council designates a member to serve on the governing board. Why an organization dedicated to the promotion of hotels is the only one where the Council’s duty elevates from mere support and coordination to governing is a misalignment of where government focus needs to be today.
I appreciate the value elected officials bring to the promotion of our City. That’s why I’ve consistently stepped up to do so, but I haven’t taken a dime of taxpayer funded travel. These are personal decisions that reflect my values of what it means to be a public servant, and how I can do my part to ensure the City focuses its resources on the areas of greatest need.
Our city government’s bandwidth is limited and needs to be focused on finding solutions to the most pressing issues before us: housing, infrastructure, and education. That’s why I’ve asked that the TID proposal be revised to remove the seat designated to the Newport City Council.
I support giving Newport businesses every tool they need to succeed, but I don’t believe elected officials need to be in the business of marketing hotels.
By Xaykham (Xay) Khamsyvoravong
Newport City Council Councilor At Large, Council Chair, & Mayor
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