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Mount Shasta council hears budget pitches from museum, outdoor‑rec group, visitor center and humane society
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Summary
Local nonprofits and business partners presented budget requests and program updates as city staff prepares the 2026–27 budget: museum and visitor-center leaders sought continued operating support, outdoor‑recreation groups requested seed money for an economic‑impact study, marketing partners proposed expanded social-media funding, and the humane society outlined costs under the city MOU.
Mount Shasta City Council heard an hour of presentations from community partners on local visitor services and nonprofit operations as staff begins assembling the 2026–27 budget.
Melissa, the city finance director, told the council she invited organizations to describe how they used prior city funding and what they would do if funded going forward, saying, “This is my first time doing the budget for the city,” and that the council will review a balanced budget in May and aims to adopt it by July 1.
The Sisson Museum (museum representative Jean) asked the council to sustain funding for collections, exhibits and building upkeep. The museum highlighted a new “Mount Shasta stories” oral‑history exhibit, a recently secured 25‑year lease and a 10‑year average attendance of roughly 14,000 visitors per year; the presenter said annual maintenance and exhibit refreshes are expensive and emphasized the museum’s volunteer base.
Renee Kasterline of the Siskiyou Outdoor Recreation Alliance (SORA) and Jesse Hanson asked for modest seed money to start an economic‑impact study tying outdoor recreation to local business activity. Kasterline said the study would use the same footprint as recent South County planning work and would help quantify seasonal visitation and business effects; SORA also sought municipal support for community events such as the Fourth of July walk/run and described partnerships with UC Davis Cooperative Extension and Cal Poly Humboldt.
A private marketing contractor, Josh, who handles the city’s digital campaigns, presented two funding options for continued tourism marketing: Option 1 would add $4,500 per month (about $54,000 a year) for more posts, reels and influencer outreach; Option 2 would continue the current package (roughly $42,000 a year). Josh warned that declining marketing activity can reduce website traffic and, he said, jeopardize an estimated $1.6 million in transient‑occupancy‑tax revenue the city currently receives.
Austin Browder, executive director of the Siskiyou Humane Society, described the nonprofit’s MOU with the city under which the shelter provides intake, holding, medical care and placement for animals encountered by city officers. He said about 30% of animals in care originate in Mount Shasta and cited 2025 intake figures presented to council (approximately 120 cats and 64 dogs). Browder gave an organizational operating estimate of about $850,000 a year and an average daily care cost of roughly $40 per animal, and he highlighted prevention programs such as a pet‑food pantry, spay/neuter vouchers and vaccine clinics.
Kayla Burns of the Mount Shasta Chamber and visitor‑center manager Lisonbee Carpenter urged continued city support for the visitor center, which the packet showed cost about $110,748 to operate in the 2024–25 fiscal year. Carpenter described a new printed map and QR‑code system that will link visitors to an online events calendar and after‑hours visitor resources and stressed that in‑person hospitality remains important, especially for older visitors and those who rely on paper maps.
Rene Cleland, board president of the Collier Interpretive and Information Center, described that site at the I‑5 rest area near the Oregon border as a gateway for county tourism; he said the center runs on advertising, grants and limited municipal contributions and noted the center’s estimated annual operating cost is about $60,000.
Therese, speaking for the Beautification Committee, presented a small operating budget request (~$5,250) for medians, downtown planters and additional trash cans.
Public commenters, including a permitted tour guide, urged the council to preserve the visitor center and marketing support; one speaker said Visit California will feature Mount Shasta in an upcoming national campaign.
What’s next: staff will fold partner requests into the city budget process. Melissa said the city plans to present a balanced budget in May, open a public hearing, and aim for adoption by July 1.
Sources: presentations and public comment during the Mount Shasta City Council meeting. All quotes and figures are drawn from speakers’ remarks to council.
