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Events director seeks $45,000 boost as downtown lighting swells to nearly 13,000 attendees
Summary
Events director Brandon asked the council for $25,000 for general event sponsorships and $20,000 for race operations, citing rapid growth in attendance—noting downtown lighting rose from under 10,000 in 2024 to almost 13,000 in 2025—and proposed a new part-time grants/sponsorship coordinator and a box truck to limit rental costs.
Brandon, the city’s events lead, asked the Cedar City Council to increase his operating budget to help manage rapid growth in several signature events. He requested $25,000 for the general sponsorship account (used for downtown lighting, Spring Fiesta and other non-race events) and $20,000 for the race series, saying the downtown lighting ceremony grew “from just under 10,000 attendees in 2024 to almost 13,000 attendees in 2025.” Brandon said the larger crowds require new safety precautions such as defined walking paths and LED screens so people spread out, and that those changes are why he’s seeking the additional sponsorship funding.
Brandon also asked the council to fund a capital retrofit of a surplus streets truck or, if necessary, to purchase a box truck to avoid repeated U-Haul rentals; he estimated a new vehicle could cost up to $70,000 but said a used truck from public works might be retrofitted for roughly $3,000–$4,000. On personnel, he proposed adding a part-time community partnerships and grants coordinator (20–30 hours a week) to pursue sponsorships and grants, which he said could “multiply the amount that we’re bringing in significantly” and reduce reliance on a TRT sinking fund that has been used to smooth operations.
Council members asked for clearer revenue tracking and said transient room tax (TRT) receipts are routed to the general fund and program accounts; staff confirmed TRT receipts are recorded and assumptions about net revenue should be examined when assessing operating offsets. Several council members supported the idea of a dedicated sponsorship/grants role but asked for measurable deliverables and targets (for example, grants written per month, sponsorship revenue generated) so the council can evaluate whether the new hire returns more revenue than it costs.
Council direction: staff should supply more detailed revenue-offset calculations and a short workplan with measurable outcomes for the proposed grants/sponsorship coordinator before the council finalizes funding.
Ending: The council heard Brandon’s full budget presentation and asked staff for follow-up materials on revenue and deliverables before making a final decision.
