An $86,500 budget deficit recently uncovered by county tax officials is the latest in a series of mounting financial shortfalls to beleaguer the Wrightsville Beach Marketing Committee amid a steep worldwide economic downturn.

The deficit, revealed Tuesday, Jan. 12, was compounded by the announcement of a sharp 31 percent plunge in November’s Wrightsville Beach room occupancy tax collections, offsetting gains made in October and reflecting the heavy blows dealt against the lodging industry by an economic malaise and increased room inventory in Wilmington.

State law requires the marketing committee—a town board responsible for drumming up tourism expenditures—to keep 25 percent of its marketing fund, officially known as its "promotional fund," in reserve for emergencies, officials said.

But the New Hanover County tax department’s annual audit of committee finances uncovered the shortfall, the result of revenues coming in under budget the last fiscal year. By law, the committee has to account for the difference, even as revenues continue to drop off.

To negate the shortfall and maintain programs, county finance officials said they will allow the committee to maintain 8 percent in its reserve fund until the next budget cycle, when the committee will have to immediately subtract its deficit from projected revenue to restore its fund balance to 25 percent by July.

The committee will request permission later this month from the New Hanover County Tourism Development Authority, an oversight body that must give its approval if the Wrightsville Beach committee is to alter its budget.

The county’s other beach community deficits pale in comparison to Wrightsville’s. Kure Beach is only short $3,100 and Carolina Beach was down about $1,300, said Kim Hufham, President/CEO of the Wilmington/Cape Fear Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau.

In light of its finances, committee officials examined their strategy and how it compares to other beach communities in talks on Tuesday. Officials backed revised methods, a more aggressive campaign and the engagement of a broader audience.

For example, having examined the success of Carolina and Kure beaches’ social networking plan, the committee expressed favor for shifting its resources toward hiring a marketing agency with the specific knowledge and expertise to utilize these otherwise free advertising tools.

How its strategy has worked thus far will be examined when the results of a conversion study are compiled, probably sometime in March, Hufham said. A two-page questionnaire will soon be mailed nationwide to 2,000 recent visitors to Wrightsville Beach. The first mailing has already been sent, the next two will occur in the coming weeks, bureau officials said. The questionnaire is expected to narrow down which avenues of marketing are most successful in attracting tourism expenditures.