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# Level playing field sought in tourism trade
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/level-playing-field-sought-in-tourism-trade/
- Published: 2005-07-05T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T07:22:26.000Z
- Author: Ryan Hyatt
- Tags: Government & Politics, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*City Council seeks a more balanced SM tourism board*

CITY HALL — Elected officials have asked a local tourist group supported by tax dollars to reconsider its leadership selection process, due to fears business interests may soon unfairly influence the organization.

Some members of the Santa Monica City Council last week supported an invitation for the Santa Monica Convention & Visitors Bureau, whose board members are appointed both by the Chamber of Commerce and City Hall, to reconsider its selection method for its leaders now that the chamber has become increasingly engaged in electoral politics.

The move was approved (5-2), with City Councilmen Bob Holbrook and Herb Katz voting against it.

The bureau is a non-profit group which supports tourism efforts in the community and therefore is considered part of the local economic engine. Currently, five of the bureau’s 11 board members are appointed by the chamber of commerce. The remaining five are appointed by the City Council, with the city manager serving as a permanent member.

The bureau, with an annual budget of $2,087,900, has been asked to find an alternative method for making its five appointments from the business community, all of whom are selected by the chamber.

One method the City Council has suggested would be for the bureau’s board to recruit among tourist trade associations, instead of the chamber.

The City Council asked bureau officials to develop a new plan within 120 days. The City Council also indicated at its June 28 meeting that should a new appointment method be approved, it would re-appoint all current board members for the rest of their terms.

The decision to change the process was suggested in April by City Councilman Ken Genser, who applauded the work of the bureau, while emphasizing fairness of the selection process “The chamber has become active in partisan politics,” Genser said. “The bureau is supported by tax dollars, and the city cannot be supporting a political organization.”

In the last council election, the chamber took positions on ballot items and endorsed council candidates.

The candidates included current Councilman Bobby Shriver and Katz.

“I have not heard of any abuse or scandal,” Katz said, who felt the bureau’s organization was adequate and its operations translucent. “It is a business group with a business intent.”

Shriver supported Genser’s request, noting a change in the bureau’s line-up seemed fair and reasonable.

Genser said that because of the chamber’s new political posturing, allowing bureau board members to be appointed by chamber members would be the equivalent to City Hall allowing the Rent Control Board to be appointed by Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights, a group long embroiled in partisan politics for its active stance on housing issues.

“Even though I think (SMRR) would do well (on the Rent Control Board),” Genser joked.

Genser, along with Mayor Pam O’Connor and Councilman Richard Bloom were endorsed by SMRR in the last election. They also approved the invitation for the bureau to re-evaluate its leadership selection process.

Councilman Kevin McKeown — who recently dropped out of the Green Party to protest an accounting scandal that the group is involved in — also supported the request.

It was City Manager Susan McCarthy who summed up the current status and board selection process at the bureau.

“The bureau is prohibited from using city funds for political activity,” McCarthy said.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/070505-02_01.jpg)

(Photo: Fabian Lewkowicz/Special)

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 5, 2005.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/070505.pdf?ref=smdp.com)