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Taos County recommends $182,219 in lodgers-tax grants for FY2026 Round 2
Summary
The Lodgers Tax Advisory Board recommended $182,219 in Round 2 awards to 15 eligible applicants; the county commission approved the funding recommendations and staff said a new Submittable platform will improve outreach and tracking.
Taos County commissioners on Nov. 18 approved the Lodgers Tax Advisory Board’s FY2026 Round 2 funding recommendations totaling $182,219.
Dylan Cox, the county’s Lodgers Tax coordinator, told commissioners the program received 18 applications requesting $234,991; three applications were found ineligible and 15 were scored in Round 2. The average application score was 76% and staff recommended awards totaling $182,219 based on the advisory board’s scoring.
Cox said the county recently adopted a Submittable grant platform to streamline applications and track which organizations and geographic areas receive funding. Commissioners asked about outreach to smaller communities and whether partial awards could hinder applicants’ plans; Cox said declined applicants will receive a decline letter with reasons and that applicants may reapply in later rounds, and he outlined plans for targeted outreach including workshops and coordination with UNM Taos.
Why it matters: Lodgers-tax grants fund tourism marketing, events and visitor-serving projects that aim to bring visitor spending into the county. Commissioners asked staff to improve outreach to outlying communities (Penasco, Questa, Cerro, Amalia) and to report back on metrics showing grant recipients and geographic distribution.
The commission approved the funding recommendations by roll call and asked the Lodgers Tax coordinator to continue improving application guidance and outreach.
