FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 23, 2026
JOINT LETTER URGES CITY LEADERS TO MAINTAIN FUNDING FOR KEY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS
Dear Mayor, members of the Ottumwa City Council, and media,
We are writing to express our deep concern regarding any proposed elimination of funding for three vital economic development organizations serving our community: Greater Ottumwa Partners in Progress, Main Street Ottumwa, and Meet Ottumwa.
These organizations play an essential role in supporting Ottumwa’s economic vitality, business development, tourism, and overall community growth. They work diligently on behalf of the community and take great pride in the forward momentum Ottumwa has experienced over the past decade. That progress has not happened by chance—it is the result of sustained effort, collaboration, and strategic focus. We want to continue building on that positive growth, not risk losing it.
Their work is not easily replicated, nor can it simply be absorbed without consequence. Eliminating their funding creates a very real risk that they would cease to exist in any meaningful capacity that benefits our city. The loss of their expertise, partnerships, and ongoing initiatives would leave a significant void that would be difficult—if not impossible—to fill in the short term.
It is also important to recognize the depth of expertise that would be lost. Between the leadership of these three organizations, there is more than a combined four decades of experience and education specifically focused on economic development. That level of specialized knowledge—built over years of hands-on work, training, and community engagement—would be significantly compromised, if not entirely lost, should these organizations be forced to scale back or close due to funding constrictions.
To be specific on the accomplishments of each of these organizations:
• Greater Ottumwa Partners in Progress (“GOPIP”) has managed the Retail Strategies contract for the City of Ottumwa for more than three years, which has brought 3 new retail stores to the community (adding LOSST dollars to the general fund) with more currently in the pipeline. They have been heavily involved in the procurement and negotiations for a new market rate housing development at 312 E Alta Vista. Further, GOPIP was part of the team that secured the “Thriving Communities Iowa” designation for the City of Ottumwa in 2025 through the Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa Finance Authority. They led the development of the 2023 Ottumwa Regional Airport Master Plan. They represent the City of Ottumwa on the South Central Iowa Workforce Development Board and work with Ottumwa Community Schools on multiple workforce development issues. They engage and submit Requests for Proposals on behalf of the City for new commercial and industrial development. GOPIP acted as convener between the City and Church Street businesses for art and security upgrades for the district. GOPIP produced multiple marketing videos for the city of Ottumwa to attract businesses and new residents. In the vacancy of Ottumwa’s Planning and Development Officer, GOPIP fielded much of the development inquiries that could not be accommodated by the City. GOPIP has operated as the point of contact and negotiation for utility providers in Ottumwa to find solutions for strengthening our gas and electrical grids to foster commercial and industrial growth. Additionally, they are the advocacy arm for Ottumwa’s overall business community and annually develop educational and entertainment programming that celebrates nearly 2,000 attendees annually.
• For two decades, Main Street Ottumwa has served as the dedicated champion for our historic downtown district. As one of Iowa's accredited Main Street programs, their work relies on this essential partnership with the City of Ottumwa through its agreement with the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) and Main Street Iowa. The Main Street impact has increased downtown property values by $5 million dollars since 2021 and attracted over $38.3 million in private investment downtown. The proposed elimination of the city's contribution would sever their formal tie to Main Street Iowa and the IEDA's resources, training, and statewide network—resources provided at no additional cost to the city beyond the existing cost-share. This is not a large budget item in the grand scheme, yet its impact is outsized and multiplier-effect driven through private-sector leverage and volunteer power. Without the city's financial support, the Main Street program in Ottumwa cannot continue to operate at its current level—and the proven benefits to our downtown and broader community would be severely diminished or lost entirely.
• Meet Ottumwa, the convention and visitors bureau for Ottumwa and Wapello County, has the sole responsibility of bringing in leisure travelers and multi-day conferences, conventions, meetings, sports tournaments to the community. Last year, Ottumwa welcomed approximately 130,000 visitors, who spent $64.1 million in our local economy. Meet Ottumwa operates on 40% of the hotel/motel tax received by the City, which is used for operating the Visitor Center on Main Street, marketing and promotion throughout the Midwest and across the country, and offering thousands of dollars in sponsorships to locally organized events that are bringing in visitors to the city. Because of the hotel/motel tax revenue increase of 123% over the past five years, they are able to offer all their services to local businesses and organizations at absolutely no cost. Meet Ottumwa is not a line item to be adjusted, but a standalone nonprofit organization that is generating an increasing amount of revenue for the City of Ottumwa year over year. Reducing tourism investment affects one of the few revenue streams that brings new money into Ottumwa, rather than reallocating existing local dollars and placing a higher burden on taxpayers. They are economic development that pays for itself and directly benefits the General Fund. And while Meet Ottumwa’s hotel/motel tax is part of the General Fund, Iowa State Code 423 requires that any City collecting hotel/motel tax must use at least 50% of the revenue for tourism development and for the promotion and encouragement of tourist and convention business in the city or county and surrounding areas. Continuing to support Meet Ottumwa helps follow this code, while allowing them to support local businesses and organizations on the City’s behalf. There has been no mention of how this would be accomplished moving forward, or where the revenue would be spent instead.
Additionally, it is important to recognize the operational strain this decision would create for the City itself. City staff are already working with limited capacity. The responsibilities currently carried out by these organizations—business recruitment, downtown development, tourism promotion, and community engagement—would inevitably fall back on an already stretched-thin municipal workforce. This would not only reduce effectiveness but could also slow progress across multiple fronts critical to Ottumwa’s future.
It is also critical to clarify that Greater Ottumwa Partners in Progress and Main Street Ottumwa are not funded through the City’s general fund. As such, reducing or eliminating their funding would not meaningfully address any general fund shortfall. However, it would significantly diminish the community’s ability to foster economic development and growth.
Furthermore, requiring these organizations to redirect their efforts toward identifying and securing alternative funding sources would inevitably shift their focus away from their core mission—economic development. Time and resources currently dedicated to growing Ottumwa would instead be spent on sustaining basic operations, reducing overall impact and slowing progress at a time when continued momentum is crucial.
Investments in these organizations are investments in Ottumwa’s future. They help attract visitors, support local businesses, revitalize downtown, and position our city as a place where people want to live, work, and invest. Removing that support risks undermining years of progress and momentum. Further, Ottumwa already spends less on economic development than most of its sister cities. Cutting this funding would place us even further behind other communities in Iowa.
We strongly urge the Mayor and City Council to carefully reconsider this course of action and to recognize the long-term value these organizations provide. Maintaining support for them is not just beneficial—it is essential to sustaining and growing Ottumwa’s economic health and community vibrancy.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Marc Roe
Executive Director
Greater Ottumwa Partners in Progress
Kris Patrick
Executive Director
Main Street Ottumwa
Laura Carrell
Executive Director
Meet Ottumwa
###
ABOUT GREATER OTTUMWA PARTNERS IN PROGRESS
Greater Ottumwa Partners In Progress is an economic and community developing organization collaboratively advancing the prosperity of the Ottumwa region.
For more information: www.gopip.org/
ABOUT MAIN STREET OTTUMWA
The Main Street Ottumwa program fosters a vibrant, dynamic, and healthy downtown through community engagement and collaborative partnerships.
For more information: www.mainstreetottumwa.com/
ABOUT MEET OTTUMWA
Where Iowa Meets the World
We invite you to join us for diverse menus, historic accommodations, world-class conference facilities, and a calendar full of Iowa's most eclectic events. Our residents represent more than 40 nationalities, and we can't wait to introduce you to our mix of culture and heritage. Plan your trip to Ottumwa and Wapello County today!
For more information: www.meetottumwa.org/FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 23, 2026
JOINT LETTER URGES CITY LEADERS TO MAINTAIN FUNDING FOR KEY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS
Dear Mayor, members of the Ottumwa City Council, and media,
We are writing to express our deep concern regarding any proposed elimination of funding for three vital economic development organizations serving our community: Greater Ottumwa Partners in Progress, Main Street Ottumwa, and Meet Ottumwa.
These organizations play an essential role in supporting Ottumwa’s economic vitality, business development, tourism, and overall community growth. They work diligently on behalf of the community and take great pride in the forward momentum Ottumwa has experienced over the past decade. That progress has not happened by chance—it is the result of sustained effort, collaboration, and strategic focus. We want to continue building on that positive growth, not risk losing it.
Their work is not easily replicated, nor can it simply be absorbed without consequence. Eliminating their funding creates a very real risk that they would cease to exist in any meaningful capacity that benefits our city. The loss of their expertise, partnerships, and ongoing initiatives would leave a significant void that would be difficult—if not impossible—to fill in the short term.
It is also important to recognize the depth of expertise that would be lost. Between the leadership of these three organizations, there is more than a combined four decades of experience and education specifically focused on economic development. That level of specialized knowledge—built over years of hands-on work, training, and community engagement—would be significantly compromised, if not entirely lost, should these organizations be forced to scale back or close due to funding constrictions.
To be specific on the accomplishments of each of these organizations:
• Greater Ottumwa Partners in Progress (“GOPIP”) has managed the Retail Strategies contract for the City of Ottumwa for more than three years, which has brought 3 new retail stores to the community (adding LOSST dollars to the general fund) with more currently in the pipeline. They have been heavily involved in the procurement and negotiations for a new market rate housing development at 312 E Alta Vista. Further, GOPIP was part of the team that secured the “Thriving Communities Iowa” designation for the City of Ottumwa in 2025 through the Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa Finance Authority. They led the development of the 2023 Ottumwa Regional Airport Master Plan. They represent the City of Ottumwa on the South Central Iowa Workforce Development Board and work with Ottumwa Community Schools on multiple workforce development issues. They engage and submit Requests for Proposals on behalf of the City for new commercial and industrial development. GOPIP acted as convener between the City and Church Street businesses for art and security upgrades for the district. GOPIP produced multiple marketing videos for the city of Ottumwa to attract businesses and new residents. In the vacancy of Ottumwa’s Planning and Development Officer, GOPIP fielded much of the development inquiries that could not be accommodated by the City. GOPIP has operated as the point of contact and negotiation for utility providers in Ottumwa to find solutions for strengthening our gas and electrical grids to foster commercial and industrial growth. Additionally, they are the advocacy arm for Ottumwa’s overall business community and annually develop educational and entertainment programming that celebrates nearly 2,000 attendees annually.
• For two decades, Main Street Ottumwa has served as the dedicated champion for our historic downtown district. As one of Iowa's accredited Main Street programs, their work relies on this essential partnership with the City of Ottumwa through its agreement with the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) and Main Street Iowa. The Main Street impact has increased downtown property values by $5 million dollars since 2021 and attracted over $38.3 million in private investment downtown. The proposed elimination of the city's contribution would sever their formal tie to Main Street Iowa and the IEDA's resources, training, and statewide network—resources provided at no additional cost to the city beyond the existing cost-share. This is not a large budget item in the grand scheme, yet its impact is outsized and multiplier-effect driven through private-sector leverage and volunteer power. Without the city's financial support, the Main Street program in Ottumwa cannot continue to operate at its current level—and the proven benefits to our downtown and broader community would be severely diminished or lost entirely.
• Meet Ottumwa, the convention and visitors bureau for Ottumwa and Wapello County, has the sole responsibility of bringing in leisure travelers and multi-day conferences, conventions, meetings, sports tournaments to the community. Last year, Ottumwa welcomed approximately 130,000 visitors, who spent $64.1 million in our local economy. Meet Ottumwa operates on 40% of the hotel/motel tax received by the City, which is used for operating the Visitor Center on Main Street, marketing and promotion throughout the Midwest and across the country, and offering thousands of dollars in sponsorships to locally organized events that are bringing in visitors to the city. Because of the hotel/motel tax revenue increase of 123% over the past five years, they are able to offer all their services to local businesses and organizations at absolutely no cost. Meet Ottumwa is not a line item to be adjusted, but a standalone nonprofit organization that is generating an increasing amount of revenue for the City of Ottumwa year over year. Reducing tourism investment affects one of the few revenue streams that brings new money into Ottumwa, rather than reallocating existing local dollars and placing a higher burden on taxpayers. They are economic development that pays for itself and directly benefits the General Fund. And while Meet Ottumwa’s hotel/motel tax is part of the General Fund, Iowa State Code 423 requires that any City collecting hotel/motel tax must use at least 50% of the revenue for tourism development and for the promotion and encouragement of tourist and convention business in the city or county and surrounding areas. Continuing to support Meet Ottumwa helps follow this code, while allowing them to support local businesses and organizations on the City’s behalf. There has been no mention of how this would be accomplished moving forward, or where the revenue would be spent instead.
Additionally, it is important to recognize the operational strain this decision would create for the City itself. City staff are already working with limited capacity. The responsibilities currently carried out by these organizations—business recruitment, downtown development, tourism promotion, and community engagement—would inevitably fall back on an already stretched-thin municipal workforce. This would not only reduce effectiveness but could also slow progress across multiple fronts critical to Ottumwa’s future.
It is also critical to clarify that Greater Ottumwa Partners in Progress and Main Street Ottumwa are not funded through the City’s general fund. As such, reducing or eliminating their funding would not meaningfully address any general fund shortfall. However, it would significantly diminish the community’s ability to foster economic development and growth.
Furthermore, requiring these organizations to redirect their efforts toward identifying and securing alternative funding sources would inevitably shift their focus away from their core mission—economic development. Time and resources currently dedicated to growing Ottumwa would instead be spent on sustaining basic operations, reducing overall impact and slowing progress at a time when continued momentum is crucial.
Investments in these organizations are investments in Ottumwa’s future. They help attract visitors, support local businesses, revitalize downtown, and position our city as a place where people want to live, work, and invest. Removing that support risks undermining years of progress and momentum. Further, Ottumwa already spends less on economic development than most of its sister cities. Cutting this funding would place us even further behind other communities in Iowa.
We strongly urge the Mayor and City Council to carefully reconsider this course of action and to recognize the long-term value these organizations provide. Maintaining support for them is not just beneficial—it is essential to sustaining and growing Ottumwa’s economic health and community vibrancy.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Marc Roe
Executive Director
Greater Ottumwa Partners in Progress
Kris Patrick
Executive Director
Main Street Ottumwa
Laura Carrell
Executive Director
Meet Ottumwa
###
ABOUT GREATER OTTUMWA PARTNERS IN PROGRESS
Greater Ottumwa Partners In Progress is an economic and community developing organization collaboratively advancing the prosperity of the Ottumwa region.
For more information: www.gopip.org/
ABOUT MAIN STREET OTTUMWA
The Main Street Ottumwa program fosters a vibrant, dynamic, and healthy downtown through community engagement and collaborative partnerships.
For more information: www.mainstreetottumwa.com/
ABOUT MEET OTTUMWA
Where Iowa Meets the World
We invite you to join us for diverse menus, historic accommodations, world-class conference facilities, and a calendar full of Iowa's most eclectic events. Our residents represent more than 40 nationalities, and we can't wait to introduce you to our mix of culture and heritage. Plan your trip to Ottumwa and Wapello County today!
For more information: www.meetottumwa.org/ ... See moreSee less
