Biega Metzner, the county film commissioner, and Allie Hartford, associate director of the Moab Office of Tourism, presented proposed 2026 budgets that ask the county to boost staffing, equipment and promotional spending to support film production and tourism marketing.

The requests include a proposed salary adjustment for the film‑commission director (presented as about $115,000 in the packet), a new part‑time administrative position budgeted at roughly $53,000, and a dedicated vehicle for scouting and production visits estimated at about $15,600. Metzner said those increases are intended to enable more on‑site support for incoming film crews and to avoid relying on a single usable county vehicle; she noted one existing vehicle is “not really usable” for scouting into higher‑clearance areas and that she sometimes uses personal vehicles or production rentals when meeting location scouts.

Why it matters: County officials said film productions generate revenue that is distinct from ordinary tourism and argued targeted investment can help land shoots that bring “heads in beds” and local spending. Hartford told the board the Moab Tourism Advisory Board (MTAB) reviewed the proposed line items and sent a letter recommending approval. The presenters said most of the requested spending would be charged to Fund 3A (the promotion transient room tax/promotion fund), rather than the previous funding source, and that additional one‑time sponsorships and donations (about $2,500) were expected to offset some event costs.

Discussion and details: Commissioners pressed for documentation and comparables. One commissioner called the proposed director salary “a huge jump” and asked for the market comparisons and HR review; Metzner said she provided two pages of salary comps and had forwarded the request to Human Resources. Commissioners also discussed timing and internal consistency with county salary policy; staff said Human Resources will review any reclassification or new position through the county’s standard process.

On marketing and operations, Metzner and Hartford described increases across advertising, travel and familiarization (FAM) tours. Metzner said the film commission’s familiarization and scouting work is intended to bring producers and location managers to the area; she described current FAM spending trends and proposed separating scouting expenses from general FAM lines for clarity. Hartford described a reorganization of the Moab Office of Tourism budget that moves agency fees into advertising lines, consolidates owned‑media creative work into a single creative services/owned media line, and separates registration fees for travel shows from travel expenses to improve tracking.

Budget offsets and sponsorships: Metzner said she has invoiced San Juan County for an annual $5,000 contribution that is not yet reflected in the packet and described two small private sponsorships (about $2,000 and $500) for upcoming community film events.

Next steps and follow up: Commissioners asked Metzner and Hartford to email salary comparables and the support materials contained in the packet; HR will review any new positions or reclassification requests before the commission considers final adoption. Board members recommended collecting metrics or return‑on‑investment data for travel shows and sponsorships to guide future spending. Metzner said it is too early to predict 2026 film volume but that several active inquiries were in progress.

Ending: Staff said the Moab Office of Tourism and film commission materials will be added to the budget packet for the record and HR will present classification information in the coming weeks.