HOLLIDAYSBURG — Blair County commissioners are slated to vote today on certifying Discover Blair County — a unit created by the Blair County Alliance for Business and Economic Growth — as the county’s tourism promotion agency.

The proposed action — listed on the agenda for the commissioners 10 a.m. public meeting in the courthouse basement — follows the controversial decertification of Explore Altoona that Commissioners Dave Kessling and Amy Webster approved in May.

Prior to the approval, commissioners held a public hearing where Explore Altoona supporters predicted that decertification will be a mistake and said a replacement agency won’t do the job that Explore Altoona has been doing.

Kessling and Webster began last year to pursue the transfer of TPA responsibilities to a newly created entity that would work with the Alliance on efforts aimed at drawing visitors to the county through development of outdoor assets and recreational trails.

While commissioners subsequently put their pursuit on hold pending negotiations with Explore Altoona, they moved forward in early 2025 to secure sufficient municipal support to decertify Explore Altoona and, more recently, to certify Discover Blair County.

Today’s meeting agenda also shows commissioners voting on a Memorandum of Understanding with Discover Blair County, which should outline the terms of the agreement between the parties.