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Colfax County approves $34,355 for Wild Divide tourism promotion
Summary
Colfax County commissioners approved a $34,355 lodgers-tax promotional grant for the Wild Divide tourism consortium, after hearing analytics and concerns about outreach and board membership.
Colfax County commissioners on Sept. 16 approved a $34,355 lodgers-tax promotional grant request from the Wild Divide tourism group to continue digital advertising and brand work. The request passed by roll call vote with all commissioners voting yes.
The Wild Divide requested $34,355 for ongoing management: $12,000 (social media management), $15,000 (digital advertising/social media), $7,000 (media and brand management for county logistics), and $355 (website/Wix fees). The presenter said the campaign has been a pilot; the project began Oct. 1 and analytics show the effort reached a little over 200,000 people this fiscal year against an initial goal of 250,000.
Why it matters: Lodgers tax dollars pay for tourism promotion intended to bring visitor spending into Colfax County; commissioners and staff said the county’s co-branding with New Mexico True has magnified reach in prior campaigns and can yield higher impressions for modest county investment.
Commissioners asked how the program’s effectiveness is measured and how county businesses in unincorporated areas are being included. One commissioner said the county should push outreach more toward businesses outside incorporated Raton and asked staff to recruit new board members after learning a local partner had closed. The presenter said letters had been sent to local Airbnb operators and that final registration enforcement letters were planned for short-term rentals not paying lodgers tax.
The motion to approve did not include any conditions beyond the standard reporting to the lodgers-tax board. The county manager and the presenter said monthly analytics are provided to the lodgers-tax board and that detailed metrics and monthly reports are available to commissioners on request.
Less urgent details: Commissioners suggested posting notices about open board seats, using local radio (KRTN) and the county website to recruit replacements, and coordinating business registrations with the county clerk’s office.
Speakers quoted in this article are listed in the speakers section.
