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in April this year compared to $160.46 in the same month of 2013. The information is compiled by Research Data Services Inc. of Tampa for the County Commission and VSC. H a l e y a p p e a r e d b e f o r e t h e C o u n t y Commission on July 9 to present her business plan and budget proposal for the 2015 fiscal year, which the commissioners accepted as a matter of formality. She told them she would be back before them in September for formal approval of her budget prior to the Oct. 1 start of the new fiscal year. CHANGES AFOOT Among other facets of her report, Haley noted that since she and her staff began a market- ing focus three years ago to support all the direct air service to Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (SRQ), the number of visitors to the county who flew directly to SRQ had risen from 16 to 22.6 percent. Haley also reminded the board members that VSC will be leaving its Chidsey Building home later this year. "Because of signage and other issues," she said, "we've seen [the number of people stopping at the facility] in the last year slowly plummet every month." In a May 12 letter she sent to the county's Facilities Services Office, Haley wrote that her organization would be terminating its sub- lease of the Chidsey Center on Dec. 12. "We have struggled with the City of Sarasota for proper signage at the location since August of 2009 and can no longer continue to operate a visitor information center in a location that is not only difficult to access, in desperate need of upgrades to sidewalks and facilities; but Virginia Haley, president of Visit Sarasota County, addresses the County Commission on July 9. Photo by Norman Schimmel Sarasota News Leader July 18, 2014 Page 56