HARMONY — The Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau wants to change its bylaws, but not everybody is happy about it.

The tourism board recently sent out a packet to its more than 300 members explaining the proposed changes to its bylaws.

Each member, be it a business, municipality or other organization, must vote on the packet and mail it back to the tourism bureau within 30 days.

There are mostly minor changes outlined in the 15-page bylaw overhaul, although some of the revisions change the way the tourism bureau operates in recruiting new members and other aspects.

For instance, one of the proposed changes would be the elimination of the membership committee, which previously recruited and retained the bureau's general members. Under the changes, the bureau board would oversee all membership applications and decisions.

In addition, there would be three general membership meetings per year under the proposed changes as opposed to the four currently held.

However, there are also proposed changes to the financial management aspect of the bureau, changes that some fear give too much power and oversight to bureau President Jack Cohen.

For instance, the proposed changes would remove a current rule that payments of $500 or more from the bureau have the signatures of two authorized designees.

In addition, the proposed changes would eliminate rules concerning petty cash and how the fund is handled in the office.

The changes also remove a section that details the rules and regulations about the bureau donating money to other nonprofits.

For HarmonyBorough Council members who unanimously rejected the proposed changes, the bylaw overhaul gives too much power and lessens oversight on Cohen.

Councilman Don Sims on Tuesday night likened Cohen to a “dictator,” and council Vice President Greg Such said Harmony received the bylaws packet “rather belatedly” and not in accordance with the required 30-day window.

After Harmony business owner Josh Meeder spoke in favor of the bylaw changes and voiced his support for Cohen's leadership, Sims urged Meeder to look more closely at just what the bureau is proposing.

“I think you should take a good hard look at what they've written on the financial side and perhaps maybe you could see people taking control of public monies with no oversight,” Sims said.

Meeder responded and said he intends to use his own vote as a bureau member to approve the changes.

“I have confidence in Jack's leadership and where it has gone so far,” Meeder said. “And he has from my perspective done well promoting tourism and managing the organization.”

After the meeting, Mayor Cathy Rape expressed her concern that the bylaw changes would never pass an accounting audit.

On Wednesday Cohen said he had no comment on Sims' remarks about likening him to a dictator besides saying that it was “a shame.”

Cohen added that he wasn't on the committee that drafted the bylaw changes, and that he has no vote or say in deciding whether they pass or not.

“I'm just in the administration here,” he said about his role with the bureau. “I don't get to vote. My job is to do what (the board) asks of me.”

Cohen also said he has faith in the former board members who drafted the bylaw changes and that their intentions were good in doing so.

One point Cohen rejected was the notion that Harmony received its packet late, saying all of the packers were mailed out at the same time.

The results of the memberships' vote will be released at the bureau's Feb. 20 meeting when the new bylaws will either be adopted or rejected.