Alton Proposes Funding Cuts to Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau

ALTON - The Alton Committee of the Whole will vote on a resolution to amend city code affecting business taxes and the amount of money that will go to different organizations.

On Monday, April 6, 2026, the Committee of the Whole will cast a vote that has the potential to adjust the Hotel Room Tax and the Food and Beverages Sales Tax in Alton. Two of the biggest changes affect the Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau.

One-eighth of taxes and penalties received by the city from the Hotel Room Tax will go to the Emergency Vehicle Replacement Fund, which is devoted to the purchase of new emergency vehicles for the police and fire departments. Once this number is hit, the remainder of the money will be disbursed among local organizations.

The Alton Regional Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, which is connected to the Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau, currently receives 43% of all taxes and penalties received by the city through the Hotel Room Tax. This will decrease to 15% if the resolution passes.

57% — an increase from 29% — will go to the Riverfront Park Development and Revitalization Fund, which focuses on financing improvements to Riverfront Park. The remaining 28% will go to the Amphitheater Concert Series Account.

The second tax, the Food and Beverages Sales Tax, will be distributed to different organizations including 8% to Alton Main Street, or a minimum of $37,500. Twenty percent of proceeds will go to the Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau, a decrease from the 60% they previously received.

All remaining proceeds from the Food and Beverages Sales Tax will go to a separate account that aims to establish a reserve fund for the payment of the city’s marina development bonds. Anything that does not go to the Marina Development Fund will be used for “beautification efforts, recreational development, educational development or encouragement of economic development,” according to the resolution.

In an email to City Council members, Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau President Cory Jobe expressed “serious concerns” about how this resolution could affect the organization, a resolution he said was “put forward by the City of Alton and the administration of Mayor David Goins.”

In his email, Jobe said these amendments “will have immediate and damaging consequences for the Alton economy, our businesses, and the broader community.” He urged council members to remember that “tourism is not a discretionary expense” but “a proven economic driver.”

He also said that the organization “will be forced to take drastic actions” if their budget is affected, including a reduction of staff and service, elimination of the “Alton Feels Like Home” campaign, the cancellation of four sporting events in 2026 and the Alton Eagle Ice Festival, and more.

The Alton Committee of the Whole will vote on this resolution on Monday, April 6, 2026.

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