If a motion passed at Monday’s Orangeville Council meeting is any indication, the relationship between the Town and the Hills of Headwaters Tourism Association may be coming to an end.

The Town is at odds with the association in regards to staffing the local tourism information centre, saying there should be a larger staff complement in peak tourism seasons.

The association, on the other hand, said Orangeville’s demands could not be met unless the Town was willing to increase its annual funding to about $40,000 from the current $26,000.

Mayor Rob Adams, interviewed after the Dec. 12, 2011 Council meeting, said the Town “has been approached by other parties willing to provide this service. We have to explore those options.”

At its Monday meeting, Council voted not to renew its agreement with Hills of Headwaters, and to explore the possibility of tourism information services being provided by Theatre Orangeville.

In a report to Council, town economic development manager Nancy Huether identified Theatre Orangeville as “a key tourism partner” with the town, pointing out that it is already responsible for managing the Opera House and collaborating with the own and the Orangeville BIA on various tourism marketing initiatives.

As well, Theatre Orangeville has expressed an interest in moving its administrative functions to the tourism centre at Broadway and Highway 10, freeing up space at Town Hall, where its offices are currently situated.

In the body of her report, Ms. Huether said the town and the association held a meeting on Jan. 16 which both sides had earlier expressed hope would bring a solution to their impasse, but that the association’s position had not changed.

Association representative Ron Munro, who was not present at Monday’s council meeting, said he would like to know more about the Council decision before commenting at length.

He did, however, say “anything a municipality is doing to focus on promoting tourism is wonderful.”