RADFORD -- Here, like most places around the country, positive economic news has been hard to come by. Deb Cooney, Radford's tourism coordinator, brought a little ray of revenue sunshine into the city council chambers Monday night.

While the economy flounders and layoff announcements seem to come daily, Cooney told the council that nearly everything in her part of the city's economy has been going up. Arrivals at the visitors center and the Web site are "significantly higher than we projected for this year," Cooney said.

Her department -- essentially Cooney and volunteers -- has produced eight brochures promoting birding, artisans and other Radford attractions. They've promoted Radford through advertising ranging from the city's tourism Web site to the Smithsonian.

But some council members have been calling for months for hard numbers that show what the city is getting for its investment in tourism promotion. Cooney told them that the preliminary estimates for 2008 show that the city's meals tax revenues are expected to increase 3.23 percent. Lodging tax receipts are predicted to rise 9.3 percent.

"While some of our area businesses are not prospering in the current economy," Cooney said, "we are on an upward trend with tourism-related stats."

Cooney called 2008 "a preparation year." She said she expects the preparations to pay off this year and in the future. Glencoe Museum is planning to bring back its Music on the New series. And the Ingles Farm Cabin Days -- times that the reconstructed cabin of John and Mary Ingles is open to the public and surrounded by re-enactors -- have been scheduled to coincide with city celebrations including the Highlander's Festival. There's a triathlon (running, biking, kayaking) in the works and a plan for a ghost tour and choir competition.

Tourism has been an issue with the council for some time. Though generally supportive of the idea of promoting tourism, some members, particularly Mayor Tom Starnes, seem more focused on measuring results.

The council created a tourism coordinator position in July 2007. Cooney took the job in January 2008. The city has since created a tourism commission, which has helped develop the city's promotional campaign and tourist-attracting events.

"I think it's well planned," Vice Mayor Dick Harshberger said during a budget discussion last year. "We're not just throwing stuff out there."

Starnes responded, "I don't disagree with that, but we need to know, are we getting more than we're spending?"

Last year, Cooney requested $24,710 above her office's baseline budget. The council initially cut that to $14,000, but eventually gave her $20,000.

"You've got to have something to promote what we've got here or we're back to where we started," City Manager Tony Cox said during the discussion.

At the first work session aimed at devising next year's budget, tourism was again high on the list of areas that might face cuts.

But the council seemed pleased with Cooney's report.

"That's the stuff you want to see because that is destination type stuff," Brown said after Cooney described her plans for new events.