Advisory board backs spending priority for mitigation, asks commission to use 55.6% of TRT for non‑promotional needs

The Moab Tourism Advisory Board voted unanimously Oct. 14 to approve a recommendation letter to the Grand County Commission that sets mitigation as the board’s first priority for transient room tax (TRT) non‑promotional spending and asks the commission to consider using the maximum allowable share, 55.6 percent, for mitigation and allowable expenditures.

Vice chair Wendell Williams, who drafted the board’s priority letter, told the board the intent was to make mitigation and essential public‑safety services visible in the county budget. “The Moab Tourism Advisory Board believes responsible tourism management requires dedicating adequate resources to mitigate the impacts of visitation,” Williams said while introducing the priorities.

The letter recommended that the commission allocate mitigation funding “based on financial need” among law enforcement, emergency medical…