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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Former Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber says he's looking for work ... Christian's Pharmacy in downtown Medford abruptly closes doors ... City lot at Third and Front streets proposed for homeless village ... Former Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber says he's looking for work ... Christian's Pharmacy in downtown Medford abruptly closes doors ... City lot at Third and Front streets proposed for homeless village ... OUR VIEW Our View: City should delay Travel Medford contract Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Mar. 16, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Mar. 16, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News The resignation of Travel Medford's top staff members is not a good sign for the organization, coming as it does after City Council members raised questions about the agency's relationship with the Medford/Jackson County Chamber of Commerce. The council should keep all the city's options open by holding off on approving a new two-year contract with the chamber when it comes up for a second reading Thursday night. Anne Jenkins, senior vice president of Travel Medford, gave notice last week that she would leave the agency at the end of the current contract June 30. She is the second Travel Medford executive to depart; Jez Kline, director of branding and marketing, announced last month he, too, is leaving. The chamber operates Travel Medford under contract with the city, receiving $750,000 in city lodging tax revenue annually to promote tourism. Council members have expressed concern about how that money is spent, how the chamber accounts for that spending and whether businesses that are chamber members get preferential treatment in promotional materials. Several councilors have advocated separating the tourism operation from the chamber and operating it as a separate nonprofit entity, as some other cities have done. The council had been poised to extend the contract with the chamber for two more years to allow time to decide whether and how to separate the two entities. Representatives of the local hotel industry had wanted a longer contract because advertising purchases and other promotional efforts often are scheduled more than two years in advance. The departures of Jenkins and Kline make the two-year extension even more tenuous. Jenkins, who has been with Travel Medford for 17 years and is considered very effective in the job, will not be easy to replace. It's hard to imagine a top talent, especially from outside the area, agreeing to take the leadership position knowing both the nature of the current controversy and the uncertainty that the job would exist beyond two years. Signing a new contract now would lock the city into a two-year relationship with the chamber that several councilors clearly do not want, and now without the leadership of two seasoned tourism executives who apparently are unwilling to continue working under the existing conditions. The resignations of the two key staff members suggest there may be even more controversy and uncertainty behind the scenes. The council would do well to step back from approving the contract extension and instead take some time to better understand what this means for Travel Medford. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Mar. 16, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501