For more than four years now, the Eureka Springs City Advertising and Promotion Commission has seemed to be in almost constant turmoil.

Having reported on much of that turmoil, I’m quite familiar with just how dysfunctional the commission has been.

I’ve been sharply critical of the commission at times, so there should be no question about my willingness to call out behavior that I believe doesn’t align with the CAPC’s core mission: advertising and promoting Eureka Springs.

I say all that so you’ll understand the gravity of what I say next: Abolishing the CAPC, and the tax that supports it, would have serious if not fatal consequences for the businesses of Eureka Springs, which in turn would be disastrous for local residents and even the city itself.

The problems of the CAPC have been caused mostly by a lack of stability and leadership, both from the commission itself and from the various individuals who’ve filled the director’s role over the past few years. Commissioners like Carol Wright, Jeff Carter and Chris Clifton — all of whom eventually served as chair of the commission — have engaged in a pattern of overreach that has served to diminish public trust in the commission and, frankly, to lead valuable staff members to leave their jobs. The director’s job was a revolving door from the time Mike Maloney departed in the spring of 2019 until he returned in the fall of 2023.

The good news is this: I believe the commission as it is currently constituted understands its true mission — to advertise and promote Eureka Springs and to be mindful of the interests and concerns of the businesses and business owners who make Eureka such a popular destination for visitors. Thankfully, this is not Carol Wright’s commission anymore. Or Jeff Carter’s or Chris Clifton’s, either.

I also believe that Mike Maloney is the right person to fill the director’s chair. He brings sorely needed stability to the position and it’s clear that he has the support of the commission and the staff. That’s a breath of fresh air after the past few tumultuous years.

The CAPC isn’t perfect and never will be. That doesn’t mean, however, that it is incapable of functioning in a manner that benefits all of Eureka Springs. And make no mistake, the work that the CAPC does directly benefits everyone who lives in or earns their livelihood in or from Eureka Springs, whether they realize it or not.

There is plenty of room for discussion and collaboration about how the CAPC can do better. I believe the commissioners and staff are open to that discussion and collaboration and will participate in it.

It’s also absolutely vital that appointments to the commission are made carefully. The commission must be composed of individuals who want to serve the best interests of Eureka, not their own agendas. I believe that is the case now, and it needs to stay that way. An awful lot of needless trouble could have been saved with more cautious deliberation on the front end.

Eureka Springs’ economy is built on tourism. If that tourism declines because the city is no longer able to market itself in a highly competitive environment, all of Eureka will suffer. As one speaker said during a meeting on the topic on Tuesday, the impact won’t be a trickle; it will be a tsunami.

Absolutely, let’s expect the CAPC to do better than it has over the past few years. Let’s demand it. But let’s not do something stupid because of the malfeasance of a small number of people who never should have been given any authority in the first place. Let’s not allow their legacy to be the destruction of Eureka Springs’ economic backbone.

Let’s move forward. Keep the CAPC.

••• Scott Loftis is editor and publisher of the Eureka Springs Times-Echo. His email address is SLoftis@CarrollCoNews. com.