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Paradise Chamber reports on 'Welcome to the Ridge' TOT program; $45,000 in TOT funds supported marketing last year
Summary
The Paradise Ridge Chamber of Commerce reported to council on its 'Welcome to the Ridge' program, which used $45,000 in transient occupancy tax (TOT) funds in the most recent program year and spent roughly $54,000 overall; the Chamber seeks to continue and scale efforts in the coming year with a larger $200,000 program budget.
Monica Nolan, CEO of the Paradise Ridge Chamber of Commerce, presented the chamber’s annual report on the Welcome to the Ridge program, which the council funds using a portion of transient occupancy tax (TOT) revenues. Nolan said the program aims to promote tourism and encourage some visitors to consider moving to Paradise.
For the 07/01/2024–06/30/2025 program year the Chamber reported spending just over $54,000; $45,000 of that was paid with TOT funds (about 83% of the program budget for that year) and the remainder from private funds. The Chamber said roughly 70% of the budget was used for advertising; highlights included the Bridal Showcase during Johnny Appleseed Days, a paid search campaign that drove 12,689 website users for a short period and a showcase that generated 5,600 visitors on the event weekend. The Chamber reported anecdotal results: one open‑house weekend produced 11 escrows post‑event.
Looking ahead, the Chamber proposed a larger Welcome to the Ridge effort with a total budget of $200,000; TOT would make up roughly 22.5% of that proposed budget. The Chamber said it had hired Chartwell Agency for an “always on” marketing strategy and planned to prepare proactive talking points and press outreach tied to renewed interest in Paradise following media about the town.
Councilmembers asked about the connection between marketing and home sales; Nolan said the Chamber was working to better track and correlate advertising with real estate outcomes and that local realtors are featured on welcometotheridge.com. Several councilmembers praised the Chamber’s events and outreach and thanked the council for returning reinvested TOT funds to community groups.
Nolan said the Chamber produced printed collateral now in circulation, partnered with Placer AI to gather visitor demographic data and planned continued event tabling and social outreach. The Chamber noted staffing changes and consultant transitions during the program year but emphasized continued focus on promoting visitation and supporting rebuild efforts.
The presentation was for information; no council vote was required.
