Lack of scrutiny and accountability keeps public in dark about millions of taxpayers dollars spent every year.

WRITTEN BY BRIAH LUMPKINS AND DOUG PARDUE

Promoting Charleston as one of the world’s top tourist attractions has cost taxpayers nearly $150 million during the last two decades, and they have no way to know exactly where the money went. 

That’s because the state and local governments that gave away that cash have failed to seek an exact accounting from the Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. The nonprofit, more commonly known as Explore Charleston, uses taxpayers’ money to advertise the Lowcountry’s virtues to attract vacationers.

Explore Charleston and similar destination marketing organizations around the state run almost entirely on the public’s dime without the financial transparency normally required by the government....

Glenda Nemes recently resigned from the Isle of Palms advisory board because she felt Explore Charleston was not addressing the needs of the beachfront barrier island that lies about 18 miles northeast of Charleston.

“We have absolutely no say in what’s given to Explore Charleston,” she contends. “We have taxation without representation.”

Lynn S. Teague, vice president of the nonpartisan League of Women Voters of South Carolina, said the League also sees it as a problem.

“Any time public money is involved, there should be real transparency. The public should know exactly where that money went, and they should know ahead of time.”

Read the full article at the link above.