Representatives
make cases for appropriation requests
By Michael Somerby EBS DIGITAL EDITOR
BIG
SKY – Representatives from 28 Big Sky organizations gathered in the Warren
Miller Performing Arts Center on June 3 for the 2019 Resort Tax Appropriations
Q&A meeting, the only opportunity for the groups to field live questions from
members of the Big Sky Resort Area
District tax board.
Appropriation
requests ranged from $23,500 for Big Sky Search and Rescue’s efforts to fund
daily operations, training, gear maintenance and computer upgrades, to nearly
$2.45 million requested by the Big Sky Community Housing Trust to cover the
costs of staffing, down payment assistance, participation in various workforce
housing projects around Big Sky, piloting a RENT LOCAL program and hiring
consultants to effect zoning changes and explore Voluntary Real Estate Transfer
Tax options.
Big
Sky Fire Department Chief William Farhat, who was the first representative to
field questions from the board regarding $916,971 in new requests and $145,000
in rollover requests to support needs pertaining to tourism-driven emergency-incident
growth and replacing personal protection equipment, captured the essence of the
meeting in a response to a comment from tax board Director Mike Scholz about the
department’s Insurance Service Office (ISO) rating, which can affect insurance
rates within a community.
“I
think we’re doing our very best with what we have, and we work very hard at being
efficient and transparent,” Farhat said. “Thrifty, when we can, save whenever
we can and diversify our revenue streams.”
Funds
available for appropriations were similar to collections of last year, approximately
$8 million, but appropriation requests jumped from about $9.5 million for 2018-2019
to nearly $11.4 million for 2019-2020, meaning applicants had their work cut
out for them in making a case for funding; subsequently, board members will be
challenged in determining how to judiciously divvy collections.
“It’s
no secret we’re stretched on funds this year,” Scholz said at the meeting.
Two
appropriation requests broke the $1 million mark. The Big Sky Community Housing
Trust’s nearly $2.45 million appropriation request, and the Big Sky Community
Organization’s roughly $2.05 million for the operations and maintenance of BSCO-operated
community parks and trail systems, and for the capital funding of
infrastructure for 3.3 acres in Big Sky Town Center and the new 25,000 square
foot community center.
“[The
BSCO community center fundraising campaign is] successful, but it’s also huge.
It’s the most ambitious goal we’ve ever done,” Ciara Wolfe, CEO of BSCO, said during
the Q&A. “We’re asking for 8 percent of our goal to come from resort tax
dollars, and that’s not just for the facility, that’s for all the public
infrastructure associated with it.”
Laura
Seyfang, program director of the Big Sky Community Housing Trust, said the
board did an excellent job in treating each request and representative with
respect, despite the uphill challenges ahead in distributing the $8 million
available between the 28 requests that leave a $3.5 million disparity between
requests and available funds.
“I
was very pleased that it was such a non-adversarial discussion,” Seyfang said. “All
of the organizations that were there each have really great causes and great
needs, and they were treated with a lot of dignity and respect. I don’t think
that anyone came out of there feeling discouraged because the board did a great
job in creating the right atmosphere.”
Steve
Johnson, vice chair of the tax board, credited in part a new process that
prepared both the board and the organizations filing appropriations requests. This
year, the board sent questions to organizations prior to the meeting, providing
both parties space for ample preparedness and thoughtful consideration of
requests.
“I
was very pleased with our modification, asking questions in advance,” Johnson
said. “[Groups seeking resort tax funds] were able to organize their answers.”
Johnson
said this year’s spike in requests reflects new and growing community needs.
“We
need to face the music,” Johnson said. “With the growth, it’s abundantly clear
there are some screaming needs for important infrastructure projects.”
On
May 2, Gov. Steve Bullock signed Senate Bill 241 into law, which, pending a
community vote, would allow Big Sky and nine other resort tax communities
around the state the ability to levy an additional 1 percent resort tax for
infrastructural needs. Should Big Sky vote to enact that percentage, available
funds could better balance future appropriation requests.
The
Resort Tax Final Appropriations meeting will be held on June 10 at 6
p.m. at the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center.
