Board directs TOT split: CVB, Chamber, dispatch contract and public works funding

The board gave direction on June 10 to distribute the county's Transient Occupancy Tax pool to a mix of tourism, public safety and public-works priorities. Staff summarized the current budgeted TOT pool at roughly $2.65 million and walked the board through the recommended allocations.

By direction, the board agreed to what staff described as a split that leaves $350,000 for the Calaveras Visitors Bureau (CVB) and $50,000 for the Chamber of Commerce, while using part of the TOT pool to cover a previously general-fund–funded fire dispatch contract ($367,435). The board and staff worked through the arithmetic on the record: paying the dispatch contract out of TOT frees general fund dollars and leaves $132,565 of TOT to go to fire, for a $500,000 total allocation to fire that year; public works would receive about $662,500 as the department's 25% share.

Denise explained that the county moved the Decker/DocuTech contract into the TOT funding stream because the vendor identifies unreported short-term rental activity and recovers TOT revenue: "What they do is they spy around the internet and catch people who are renting things out without actually paying the county TOT." Board members indicated they would formalize the direction at a later meeting after staff updates the budget slides.

The board also discussed Measure A projections (staff estimated about $8.717 million next fiscal year) and whether the full 25% share for public works should be 'trued up' to fund snow-removal equipment over time. Staff noted that 25% would add roughly $35,316 to public works' budget; public works leadership urged getting to full 25% to support capital replacement planning and equipment purchases.

Staff will return with updated slides and a formal adoption item at a subsequent meeting.