North Aurora wants sweeter tourism deal

Before North Aurora signs a new contract with the Aurora Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, most of the village board would like more favorable terms.

In the past, the village and the bureau have signed a series of five-year contracts that gave the bureau 90 percent of revenues generated by a tax on hotel rooms. Last year, the tax generated a little more than $30,000 from the village's lone hotel, the Baymont Inn, located near the Reagan Memorial Tollway.

The Aurora Area Convention and Visitors Bureau pools money from nine communities, including Aurora, Sugar Grove and Batavia, with the intent to help businesses and promote overnight stays, Trustee Dale Berman said. Berman is also the chairman of the bureau's board.

With the last contract already expired, the bureau would like to sign another five-year deal. However, four trustees said that seemed like too long, especially when the money the village would be contributing could significantly increase in the next few years.

"I'm not comfortable locking in for five years," Trustee Bob Strusz said Monday.

The village expects to have two new hotels in the next several years. One project would put a Country Inn and Suites near the corner of Randall and Orchard roads. Another could put a hotel near the auto mall, Village Administrator Sue McLaughlin said.

The new hotels would push the revenue generated by the village for the bureau to more than $120,000, she said.

The money from the 3 percent tax must be spent promoting overnight stays or other projects that will attract people to town. McLaughlin said that could mean more advertising for the area from the bureau, or it could mean helping fund a proposed riverfront project or street beautification.

Trustee Mike Herlihy said he would be in favor of a two-year contract at 90 percent or capping the amount the village would send to the bureau. Trustee Max Herwig and Berman agreed.

The bureau has already declined a 50-50 split or one-year contracts proposed by the village, McLaughlin said. She will take the new idea for the two-year contract to the bureau and bring its reaction to the village board next week, she said.