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Hayward Lakes Visitor & Convention Bureau asks Sawyer County for $50,000 to stabilize tourism marketing
Summary
The Hayward Lakes Visitor & Convention Bureau told the county it seeks a $50,000 annual county contribution to stabilize marketing and visitor services, and provided 2024 economic‑impact figures in support of the request.
The Hayward Lakes Visitor & Convention Bureau told Sawyer County supervisors that a county contribution of $50,000 helps stabilize marketing programs that generate substantial local economic activity and tax revenues.
Mindy Simons, director of the bureau, said Sawyer County tourism generated roughly $151 million in economic impact and $10.5 million in state and local taxes in 2024, and that tourism supported about 960 jobs countywide. “The county’s contribution helps ensure our operating expenses in case there are revenue fluctuations,” Simons said, citing data from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism’s annual economic impact study.
Simons reviewed the county’s room‑tax landscape: only six of Sawyer County’s 21 municipalities have a room tax ordinance, and only four contract with the bureau for the room‑tax funds. She cited Sawyer County resolution 2017‑52, passed by the county board, that encouraged municipalities to adopt room tax ordinances; she said only three municipalities have enacted a room tax since that 2017 resolution.
The bureau’s stated room‑tax policy follows state guidance that room‑tax revenue should fund tourism promotion and development that generates paid overnight stays; Simons said the bureau’s room‑tax dollars are devoted to advertising, recruitment of conventions and sports events, visitor services and destination development and are not used for payroll, operating costs, insurance or utilities.
Committee members asked for a written summary and additional local breakdowns. One supervisor suggested the finance committee consider Simons’ presentation at its Thursday meeting to evaluate whether increased county investment could yield a higher return. Simons said the bureau has kept its county budget request flat for several years and called the $50,000 ask a small fraction of total tourism impact in the county.
Ending
Supervisors asked the bureau to provide supporting documents for the economic figures and said they would consider whether to include the bureau’s request in the upcoming county budget deliberations.
