Manchester Policy and Procedures Committee postponed a job description for a Tourism Director during the March 26 meeting, needing more information before sending it to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen.

Policy and Procedures members were unsure of the leadership structure between Parks and Recreation and the new Tourism Department and theorized that the connection could be more for funding, using the city’s Hotel/Motel Tax revenue, rather than direct leadership.

City Finance Director Anthony Burrows said, however, that it was his understanding that Parks and Recreation would be under the Tourism Department line item.

Both Burrows and Alderman Thomas Crosslin questioned if that would make the Recreation Department Director report to the Tourism Director.

“Who is (Parks and Recreation Director AJ Fox) going to report to?” Burrows asked. “Is he going to be autonomous or is he going to report to (Tourism)?”

Crosslin suggested if that were the case then the Parks and Recreation Director job description would need to be changed.

Burrows also noted that the current leadership structure is “sticky.” He said that while Fox is the director by ordinance, Miranda Edwards is a manager over Parks and Amber at the event center is a director.

“ The way I’m seeing it is you have these three departments rolled into fund 130,” he said.

The City Attorney Craig Johnson said that department directors answer to BOMA, so any changes in that structure would need to be approved by BOMA. Placing the hiring and firing of a director under the Tourism Director position would be problematic.

“ Key duties include developing marketing campaigns, preparing and managing the budget and developing partnerships with businesses and government and overseeing the Manchester Event and Visitor Center,” the job description reads.

The committee voted to remove a requirement that mandated a bachelor’s degree, allowing a requisite number of years working in the field as sufficient.

Additionally, Finance Director Anthony Burrows noted that the description was “ Visitor Center centric” and was vague on the portion of the Parks and Recreation leadership.