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Osage County Tourism Director Kelly Bland gets her contact renewed on a yearly basis. At Monday morning's county commissioner meeting, it was time for the board to make the decision to renew her contract or go in a different way.

When discussion began all three commissioners wanted to let Bland know that they appreciated the work she is doing, but District One Commissioner Randall Jones questioned a bonus that the tourism board recommended. This is because Jones sees the bonus as a tax on Osage County citizens. Bland explains how the bonus formula came about, which was approved unanimously by her board.

As the discussion drew on, two citizens spoke up on Bland's behalf, believing that she should have her contract renewed and the bonus should be put in place as well. The commissioners made the point that there were a few things in the contract that they needed to get resolved before moving forward, hence the reason they were reviewing the contract two months before it was set to expire. Before making a decision, Bland let the commissioners know that she had put in the work and she was OK with whatever result they came up with.

The Board voted 2-1 to approve Bland's contract as it is written, pending a review from the State Auditor's Office. If they have issues with the contract, they will re-visit the item at a later date. Jones elected to vote against the contract renewal.