Budget Hearing Meeting – Tourism Board, September 17, 2026
Main Subject
The primary focus of the September 17, 2026 Tourism Board budget hearing was how to spend a 2% lodging-tax fund after a fire year: a conservative 2027 revenue call of $75,000, an 80/10/10 split that still puts most of the money into advertising, a smaller reserve target, and cleaner bookkeeping so Fund 55 can survive an audit.
Summary
A newer board member (Wendy) walked Fund 55 for about 41 minutes. The fund is the 2% lodging tax from Ballot Issue 1B (Nov. 6, 2007), not general-fund cash. Receipts lag about three months, so September still under-counts summer. Westcliffe and short-term-rental lodging tax for June–August was described as up versus 2025 even with the fire; about $10,000 went to Facebook ads during smoke season. Last year’s budget was about $136,250 including a $3,000 grant that never landed. Five-year average ~$100,000; 2027 revenue cut to $75,000. CTO $10,000 grant pulled (they did not apply). Working spend plan still ~$100,000: 80% ads, 10% outreach, 10% admin. Reserves from ~$120,000 toward a $50,000 cushion. Welcome-center rent is $200/month; $6,600 was a possible Main Street move, not the current lease. Most of the hour was chart-of-accounts cleanup so ads, nonprofit printing, and social-media contracts do not get audited as one pile. No votes, no public comment.
Key Points
Revenue
- Fund 55 only. Three-month lag. 2027 call $75,000. CTO grant out. Donations out unless cash arrives.
Spend split
- Ads ~$80,000 (including ~$25,000 content/influencers and off-season pushes).
- Outreach ~$10,000.
- Admin ~$10,000 (Mailchimp, Dropbox, QuickBooks, webmaster, device fee).
Welcome center
- $200/month now. $6,600 was a projection, not the current bill.
Books
- Split printing (~$11,000). Put rent on 52101. Log 8–12 week ad contracts as liabilities. Keep the READY grant out of lodging tax.
Summarized Transcription
Lagging lodging-tax numbers first, then the conservative revenue cut, then an ad-heavy $100,000 plan that draws reserves down to $50,000. Fire-year Facebook spend was the only crisis line. The rest was making Fund 55 look like a county ledger instead of a QuickBooks hobby. Direction, not a vote.
