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Resort tax committee presents plan to prioritize streets, stormwater and parks
Summary
Tom, speaking for the Resort Tax Committee, told the council the committee expects roughly flat resort‑tax revenue this year, highlighted that collections rose after the 3%→4% rate change, and recommended funding priorities including streets/sidewalks, stormwater, parks, and a possible 10% allocation for fire protection.
Tom, the presenter for the Resort Tax Committee, told the Red Lodge City Council that resort‑tax collections rose substantially after the recent rate change and that the committee’s priorities are focused on visible infrastructure improvements. “We’ve collected almost $2,500,000 since the approval of that extra 1%,” Tom said during the committee’s presentation.
The committee recommended directing money to streets and sidewalks, stormwater infrastructure, parks and recreation, water and sewer projects and to retain a reserve for capital flexibility. Tom said resort tax was moved from 3% to 4% for an infrastructure package and that, as a result, the tax base brought the city more funds for visible projects. He told council the committee now directs roughly 95% of resort tax to projects, down from previous allocations to property‑tax relief.
Council members asked for clarification about how carryover funds and estimates are handled. Tom said the committee budgets conservatively, using last year’s collections as the baseline and carrying unspent funds forward. He explained that some previously budgeted items were carryovers — for example, a cost‑shared sidewalk repair item and an ordered vacuum truck that arrived late — and that the committee had set an annual parts/flex fund to allow small park improvements.
The presentation also listed specific requests that the committee wants council to consider: a street‑completion fund to allow full repaving when water projects are underway, an expanded sidewalk incentive program, a parks parts line (budgeted at roughly $85,000 in recent discussion), and a supplemental request for tennis‑court funding that the committee would support if additional cash is available.
On a more significant policy point, Tom said the committee had included a request for a fire‑protection allocation representing about 10% of resort‑tax revenue. The council discussed that the fire allocation is not guaranteed but is in the proposed budget for discussion and that any changes would be included during the council’s formal budget decisions.
The council did not vote on the resort‑tax recommendation at the meeting; Tom’s slides and the committee’s packet will be posted online, the mayor said, and the recommendations will be considered as the mayor builds the final budget for council action.
