Dear editor:
I am writing to urge you to support the renewal of the Park County Lodging Tax when you cast your votes on Nov. 5.
A “yes” vote means Park County Travel …
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Dear editor:
I am writing to urge you to support the renewal of the Park County Lodging Tax when you cast your votes on Nov. 5.
A “yes” vote means Park County Travel Council will be able to market the destination to potential visitors worldwide.
Our community relies heavily on tourism as our No.1 employer and economic driver.
The lodging tax impacts are far-reaching and affect nearly everyone who lives in our community. This tax provides funding for essential services provided by the Yellowstone Regional Airport and Park County visitor centers, as well as the very attractions that bring visitors from around the world, such as the Buffalo Bill Center of the West and the Buffalo Bill Dam.
Restaurant servers, tour guides, maintenance workers, wranglers, bus drivers, outfitters and artists are all impacted by the lodging tax which also provides resources for our schools and town services.
In my career, every one of my jobs has been impacted by tourism. I am a photographer, book author, tour guide and historian. Visitors who purchased my photos and books or listened to my narratives helped me support my family.
In 2023, each household in Park County saved $1,649 in local and state taxes because of taxes paid by the 984,000 overnight visitors who visited our town that year. In total, those visitors contributed more than $478.2 million to the local economy.
If the lodging tax is not renewed, we can expect the following:
• Visitor centers in Powell, Meeteetse and Cody would have funding cut, along with the associated jobs.
• More than $300,000 in municipality and county funding would be cut in half, potentially raising our taxes.
• Park County Travel Council would need to greatly reduce marketing initiatives like advertising, social media, visitor publications and public relations.
• Grants would be reduced or eliminated that support the marketing efforts of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale, Buffalo Bill Dam & Visitor Center, Cody Country Art League, Cody Stampede Board, East Yellowstone Chamber of Commerce, Yellowstone Regional Airport, Heart Mountain Interpretive Center and Homesteader Museum.
Right now, marketing destinations is more competitive than ever. Cody is up against other Yellowstone gateway towns. And, of course, there are 63 other national park destinations with robust marketing efforts too. We compete against places like Williams, Arizona, gateway to the Grand Canyon, and Bar Harbor, Maine, gateway to Acadia.
When you head to the polls this year, please support your town, community and the destination of Cody Yellowstone by voting yes to renew the lodging tax.
Bob Richard
Chairman of the Park County PAC