The Big Sky Community Organization’s community center saw robust community support from local sports teams The Big Sky Royals baseball team and the Big Sky Futbol Club girls soccer team, who both struggle for limited gym time during Big Sky’s long winters. PHOTO BY BAY STEPHENS
BIG SKY – At the June 10
final resort tax appropriations meeting held at the Warren Miller Performing
Arts Center for the Big Sky Resort Area District, the board bonded $939,000, and
doled out the $8.4 million available resort tax collections to 26 organizations
operating in Big Sky. BSRAD Director Mike Scholz also announced that he will
step down at the end of this summer.
Deciding how to allocate
this year’s resort tax collections for the 2019-2020 fiscal year was a tall
order, as 28 organizations requested $11.4 million, creating a nearly $3
million dearth, the largest resort tax has yet seen.
Bonding was put toward
the Big Sky Community Organization’s over $2 million ask to help fund construction
of the community center, with $1.54 million of this year’s collections
allocated to the organization and the remaining $500,000 bonded.
Gallatin County 911’s
request was entirely funded through a $439,000 bond to support the creation of
a mission critical radio network based on Lone Mountain, which will depend on
funding from Gallatin and Madison counties as well.
Although bonding has
been in BSRAD’s toolbox since 2013, when Gov. Steve Bullock signed a bill that
the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce and resort tax board of the time rallied to
support, the board has never used it.
A majority vote of the resort
tax board and voter approval is required to pass a bond in excess of $500,000,
but for bonds less than that amount a 4 out of 5 majority board vote with no
voter approval approves a bond.
During the meeting, the
details of how soon bonded funds would be made available were not clear. In
general, the process will require BSRAD taking out $939,000 in private loans to
give the allocated funds for the 911 radio network improvements and the
community center, while the board pays off the loan with interest using future
collections for up to 10 years, depending on how many years the board chooses
to spread the loans over.
Steve Johnson, the
board’s vice chair, recommended bonding as an appropriate option this year
considering the long-term nature of several projects the funds would be put
toward, adding that it could be a mechanism to close this year’s nearly $3.3
million shortfall between requested and available resort tax funds.
Other board members were
hesitant.
“I’m just worried about
taking money out of next year,” said BSRAD Treasurer Sarah Blechta. “We have a
huge deficit this year and, looking around the room, I don’t think anybody’s
going to ask us for less money [next year].”
Despite the board’s
recognition that community housing is a top priority in Big Sky, the Big Sky
Community Housing Trust saw its allocation trimmed substantially from its
request. Although the trust had initially requested $2.4 million, they were
awarded what Program Director Laura Seyfang named the bare minimum amount, $1.65
million, in order to pursue a promising potential rental housing project that
could include 48 units with rent tied to income. She said construction could
begin next spring if all went well.
Early in the evening,
the board agreed that the community center was an appropriate instance for
bonding, allowing them to wet their feet without going too deep. However, late
into the 3.5-hour-long meeting, the board found that it had over allocated $342,574
and had to either run back through the list of applicants and make cuts to
break even, or consider another project to bond.
Board Chair Kevin
Germain was not in favor of borrowing anymore against future collections.
“We’ve already bonded
$500,000, we’ve completely depleted our sinking fund and we have big needs
coming in this community and we’re just going to make this much harder on the
board next year and subsequent boards,” Germain said. “Bonding is the easy
button.”
“I think we’ve got to go
back through and just balance the checkbook,” Germain added.
Ultimately, the board
agreed to bond Gallatin 911’s request.
The meeting concluded
with the announcement that BSRAD Director Mike Scholz was stepping down later
this summer after eight years of service on the board. Although his term would
have ended in May 2020, he said that he and his wife’s travel schedule
throughout the fall would not permit him to effectively participate for the
last months of his term.
“What has been accomplished with the over $50 million raised through the 3 percent resort tax has transformed Big Sky,” Scholz said in an email. “It has been an honor to work alongside so many dedicated board members, staff and community-minded leaders.”
TWO SHOWS: 4pm & 7pm
David Epley, through the character of Doktor Kaboom! performs original interactive Science Comedy shows for audiences of all ages. Creatively blending theatre arts
more
Event Details
TWO SHOWS: 4pm & 7pm
David Epley, through the character of Doktor Kaboom! performs original interactive Science Comedy shows for audiences of all ages. Creatively blending theatre arts with the wonders of scientific exploration, Doktor Kaboom! keeps his crowds riveted with interest and rolling with laughter. Join Kaboom! for a sidesplitting journey of increasingly spectacular (and often successful) science experiments designed to involve, excite, educate, and entertain.
David Epley is a native of Charlotte, North Carolina, and has been fortunate enough to discover two passions in his life. Science, his first, took him to studies at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. His second, performing, became his career, and for 20 years David has made his living writing, performing, and directing original interactive scientific theatre across the US and Canada.
TWO SHOWS: 4pm & 7pm
David Epley, through the character of Doktor Kaboom! performs original interactive Science Comedy shows for audiences of all ages. Creatively blending theatre arts
more
Event Details
TWO SHOWS: 4pm & 7pm
David Epley, through the character of Doktor Kaboom! performs original interactive Science Comedy shows for audiences of all ages. Creatively blending theatre arts with the wonders of scientific exploration, Doktor Kaboom! keeps his crowds riveted with interest and rolling with laughter. Join Kaboom! for a sidesplitting journey of increasingly spectacular (and often successful) science experiments designed to involve, excite, educate, and entertain.
David Epley is a native of Charlotte, North Carolina, and has been fortunate enough to discover two passions in his life. Science, his first, took him to studies at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. His second, performing, became his career, and for 20 years David has made his living writing, performing, and directing original interactive scientific theatre across the US and Canada.
Fall Community Cleanse at Santosha Wellness Center October 4-17.
Join Callie Stolz, C.A.S., P.K.S., Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist and Pancha Karma (cleansing) Specialist, in a 2-week Ayurvedic Cleanse to assist our bodies in making
Event Details
Fall Community Cleanse at Santosha Wellness Center October 4-17.
Join Callie Stolz, C.A.S., P.K.S., Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist and Pancha Karma (cleansing) Specialist, in a 2-week Ayurvedic Cleanse to assist our bodies in making those changes and setting ourselves up for a healthy winter season.