HERMANN — Hoping to benefit from Kansas City being one of several World Cup soccer sites in North America, Hermann’s Tourism Chief says the community might have to be patient.

Director of Tourism and Economic Development Tammy Bruckerhoff, Tuesday morning, told the board of the Hermann Regional Economic Development (HRED) Corporation that state tourism officials are saying smaller communities looking to benefit from the international soccer frenzy that will take place this summer might not reap rewards for another few years. Bruckerhoff explained that state tourism officials will be promoting Missouri as a good location for a future vacation, well after the World Cup events have passed.

“We don’t think it will affect us,” directly this year, she said, referring to the games in Kansas City.

The tournament games being held in Canada, the United States and Mexico are expected to attract large crowds of international fans. The games will be held from mid-June to mid-July. The tourism director said an effort will be made by the Missouri Division of Tourism to target its marketing to entice the visitors to return to Missouri for a vacation. Communities such as Hermann could see those targeting efforts pay off in three to five years, she added.

Bruckerhoff said the state’s tourism agency will be keeping local tourism officials informed of the effort as the process goes along.

“The Division of Tourism is feeding us information as it becomes available,” she said.

Meanwhile, she told the HRED directors that Hermann would be joining several other municipalities along the Missouri River Runner line on Wednesday in Sedalia, on ways to further increase ridership in the cross-state Amtrak line. The Missouri River Runner has been gaining popularity, which is an economic boost for cities with stops along the route.

“The number (of ridders) is continuing to rise,” she said.

In other matters, Hermann Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Melissa Lensing reported that a new addition to the organization’s effort to put in place its strategic plan could pay big dividends.

Lensing said that Dan Mehan has joined the Chamber’s capital campaign as a consultant. Mehan is the former chief executive officer of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce. She said it’s hoped Mehan will be able to help move along the effort to secure pledges toward the Chamber’s $1-million-dollar goal for developing and implementing a strategic plan to guide the economic growth of the area in the coming years.

“It’s great to have him on board,” she said of Mehan.

Gasconade County R-1 School District Superintendent Geoff Neill noted that district officials continue to monitor state legislation of importance to public education, especially legislation that would reduce property tax revenue.

A law adopted in the 2025 session, SB3, will be on the April ballot across Missouri. If adopted, this legislation would essentially freeze the property tax a homeowner pays on their primary residence at the 2024 level. That would amount to a loss of about $300,000 for the R-1 district, Neill said. He added that changes to be considered for the state’s foundation formula — the method used to calculate state aid to public schools — could result in another half-million-dollar loss.

All of this is taking place at a time when R-1 officials see the student enrollment continuing to decline — a decades-old trend that Neill said he doesn’t expect to change in the near future. Fewer students mean fewer state dollars, he said, and explained that translates into greater reliance on the local effort to fund public education.

The HRED board is comprised of business, local government, education and civic leaders working toward increased economic growth for the community. It meets once a month, usually in the R-1 district Administration Building. The next meeting is scheduled for 8 a.m. on Feb. 3 in the Administration Building.