Dear editor:

Dear fellow Park County citizens, I write this so that you truly understand your options this fall on the lodging tax situation. 

The Wyoming Legislature in 2020 gave the State of Wyoming Tourism Department authority to tax all lodging at 5% effective Jan. 1, 2021. Because there is a 'cap' of 7% on the lodging tax, local authorities may only charge 2% (90% which is earmarked for tourism in the county and 10% which goes to the county/city general funds.) Because Park County has currently a 4% local lodging tax, we will be voting this fall to make that a 2% local lodging tax to be in compliance with the cap since the state lodging tax will rise to 5% this next season or we lose it altogether.

If you vote no, Park County will still have the increased state lodging tax and sales tax regardless and our tourists will pay 9%. What will happen is that our county will lose half of its marketing dollars currently dispensed by the Park County tourism board and cities/county will also lose money. That means $1.5 million less based on 2023 numbers.

If you vote yes, it means that Park County and its cities, much of whom depend on tourism for their livelihood, would at least keep the current level of marketing dollars to promote our area.

We as Wyomingites have already lost the battle to the Wyoming Tourism Department when the Legislature gave them the authority to implement a 5% state lodging tax in 2020. What we stand to lose this election is half of our current marketing dollars predominately paid for by the out of state tourist. 

Locals who do travel in the state generally do so at low season when hotel rates are lower or with a special event rate when traveling to meetings, sporting events, etc. Many of us use AMAC, AARP, senior rates, AAA, military and rarely pay full price and are going to have to pay the state lodging tax and sales tax rate regardless at 9-11% even if we vote no to Park County's 2% local lodging tax.

Here are some of the numbers:

In 2023, the total local lodging tax collected for Park County was $3,063,192 (less than in 2022) of which 90% ($2,756.873) went to the Park County tourism board for marketing and 10% will go to the cities and county ($306,319) general funds. If you vote no, this is the last year for these amounts.

If you vote yes on the 2% local lodging tax, as of June YTD the local lodging tax collected thus far is 33% higher than last year and we have already surpassed last year’s collection. If this trend continues we would have $407,405 for the cities/county general budgets and $3,666,640 for Park County marketing.

If you vote no this fall, we would receive half of the above amounts — $203,700 to be split among the cities and county and $1,833,320 to the Park County Travel Council. But, the rest of the money would go to the Wyoming State Tourism board — lodgers would still be paying 9% lodging and sale taxes.

Please understand that the cities and the county have already set their budgets. If you vote to stop one of their revenue streams their budgets may have a shortfall and I suppose that the city and county would then push for a new sales tax to make up for the loss of this revenue. This new tax would be paid for by the Park County residents year round. 

Please vote yes for the 2% local lodging tax. 

If you do not like paying higher taxes? I would encourage you to run for city council and county commission and trim the budgets. If you do not want to run for office, then contact your local representatives and hold them accountable and impress upon them to trim the budgets.

God bless Park County and the great State of Wyoming. Please vet your candidates and vote intelligently by what they stand for and not name recognition. If they have a voting record you can access it, please do so. Call your representatives and learn who they are and what they stand for. Your future — if you are to have one — will depend upon it.

If you look at the 2023 Park County Tourism Annual Report (funded by 2022 lodging tax) these people will lose a large portion if not all of their funding.

Robin Berry

Cody