ZELIENOPLE — The Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau on Thursday approved a spending plan for 2013-14 that includes a 5 percent increase in revenues and the addition of two staff members.

Board members approved the budget which anticipates revenues topping $1.418 million and expenses totaling $1.408 million.

Tourism bureau President Jack Cohen told the board that he also anticipates a 10 percent increase in new membership next year as part of the group’s growth. With this growth, the bureau intends to hire a new sales employee and a new administrative employee.

It has six full-time employees and two part-time workers.

The bureau is funded primarily from a 3 percent bed tax on county hotels and bed and breakfast facilities. Cohen said he expects the bed tax to account for about $1.3 million in revenues next year.

That number is an increase from this year, which Cohen estimates will top out about $1.2 million. That increase obviously signals that more people are coming to the county and staying overnight.

Cohen said the county is on its way to having more than 2,000 hotel beds once several construction projects are finished.

Jackie Ralston, board chair, applauded Cohen for putting more money into the promotions and sales portion of the budget.

“I’m very happy to see more money put in there,” she said. “That’s where we should be. It takes money to make money.”

The budget also anticipates bringing in more than $38,000 in membership dues in the next fiscal year and $20,000 in revenues from the Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival in June.

The issue of member dues came up briefly at the board meeting when board member Wayne Conley, who owns the Conley Resort in Penn Township, voiced his displeasure with having to pay the $165 annual membership fee.

Conley said the tourism bureau wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the bed tax.

“It just kind of chaps us when we get the bill,” he said.

Conley said he’s not necessarily upset over the cost, just the principal of the matter.

Cohen responded by saying that membership dues are used to market every business in the county, which in turn brings money back to the businesses.

“I can’t imagine us doing that for free,” he said.

The issue never came to a vote.

The bureau has 300 members.