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Trust for Public Land report offers options to fund $100M in recreation infrastructure; board weighs lodging tax as viable path
Summary
County staff presented a preliminary Trust for Public Land (TPL) feasibility report that outlines funding mechanisms (sales tax, bonds, lodging tax, property tax, special district) for an estimated $100 million recreation infrastructure need; commissioners signaled the lodging tax might have the most traction.
County staff updated the Board of Commissioners on a preliminary Trust for Public Land (TPL) evaluation of funding options to support a broad set of recreation projects, including courts, community centers, pools and improved connectivity between municipal and county recreation assets.
Staff said the $100 million figure is a back-of-the-envelope estimate aggregating municipal and county needs over a 10-year horizon and that TPL has provided a no-cost technical-assistance report that outlines possible finance measures: sales tax, bond measures, property-tax options, lodging (occupancy) tax, or creation of a special recreation district.
Staff told the commissioners that TPL would partner with the county and municipal partners to conduct community polling and could cost-share a polling effort to test public appetite for a measure. The county discussed a timeline that would require polling and deliberation in May'June if any jurisdiction wanted to place a question on this fall's ballot.
Commissioners emphasized the need to weigh recreation funding against other local priorities and to coordinate across municipalities so that individual projects (for example, pickleball courts or an ice rink) are evaluated in a valley-wide strategy. One commissioner said the lodging tax change could yield several million dollars annually and may be the most feasible short-term option; others urged swift but careful polling and stakeholder prioritization.
Why it matters: The TPL work is meant to provide a coordinated platform so towns and the county can evaluate trade-offs and avoid competing, duplicative ballot measures. Staff said no decision was required at the meeting; the county expects to continue coordination with municipal partners and return with polling recommendations and next steps.
