Bob Filner's decision to release the tourism marketing money means an injection of cash for the city's tourism marketing arm. That staved off layoffs at the local Tourism Authority, formerly know as the Convention and Visitor's Bureau. The Authority had run out of cash to meet payroll.
That shutdown won't happen because San Diego Mayor Bob Filner said the money has been wired to the district.
The mayor was holding back cash earned from the city's hotel taxes and funneled into city's Tourism Marketing District. Earlier this week he told reporters about his frustration.
"I'm a little tired, frankly, about the wining of these very rich hotel owners and the hotels they represent," said Filner.
Filner wasn't happy about the possibility that the Balboa Park Centennial Committee might not get its share of the district's cash. That committee is putting on a celebration of the park in 2015.
Tourism Marketing District Chair Terry Brown says the Balboa Park committee wouldn't get anything if Filner continued to hold back the money.
"As soon as we have the money, we'll be able to write that $499,000 (check) we approved today and then, whatever the balance was ... as it comes through the year and it's released by the city under our agreement," said Brown.
The money Filner was holding captive had already been collected from hotel taxes, Brown said.
