ZELIENOPLE — The Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau will form a committee to explore the possibility of increasing membership dues.

President Jack Cohen said at a board meeting last week that it’s been at least three or four years since rates have gone up for the bureau’s 350 members.

“It’s been awhile,” Cohen said about the rate increase, “and nothing stays the same.”

Currently, a standard membership for any business costs $165 annually while nonprofit organizations have a discount rate of $110.

Those dues are much less than for neighboring counties, especially Allegheny County.

As an example, Cohen said the Pittsburgh Marriott North in Cranberry Township pays $165 for inclusion into the Butler tourism bureau. In contrast, it pays nearly $2,000 annually to be a part of the Visit Pittsburgh tourism group.

Cohen noted the contrast in those two organization’s budgets is rather stark too. His budget is just under $2 million annually while Visit Pittsburgh has about a $10 million annual budget.

Raising membership dues could help the Butler County tourism bureau better accomplish its goals with extra revenue, Cohen said.

Membership dues are renewed annually based on the anniversary date of a business joining the bureau.

It’s not clear when or if the committee will decide to raise rates, although such a decision would require approval from the bureau board.

It will next meet at 9 a.m. Sept. 18 in the Regional Learning Alliance in Cranberry.