Dear editor:

When we vote in this election, the residents of Park County will have the opportunity to continue the local lodging tax. This is an optional tax that Park County residents have supported for over 35 years. It is important for us as residents to understand the lodging tax, who pays for it, and how it helps our local economy, as we make this critical decision. 

 It’s easy for us to dislike taxes because we don’t like taxes in general. When we do support a tax, we want it to be spent wisely and provide value. Losing the lodging tax will have serious economic consequences for Park County residents.

Bejamin Franklin once said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”  So, what is the lodging tax? 

The lodging tax in Wyoming is comprised of two components, the 5% state lodging tax and the 2% optionallodging tax. Lodging taxes are collected on all overnight properties, hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, vacation rentals and RV parks.  As you might expect, the vast majority of the tax is paid by visitors to our community.  

The state lodging tax is collected by the Department of Travel and Tourism.  The Office of Tourism uses 3% for national and international promotion of the state — 2% is returned to the local county to use in local tourism promotion. We do not vote on the state lodging tax.

The optional lodging tax (2%) is a local voter approved tax. This tax has been on the ballot in Park County every four years since the late 80s and has been overwhelmingly approved in each election. By statute, 90% of the local share of this lodging tax must be used for the promotion of travel and tourism in Park County.  

How does the lodging tax help our local economy? In 2023, our county welcomed over 984,000 visitors. These visitors spent over $507 million in Park County. They bought groceries, dined in restaurants, purchased souvenirs, visited museums, attended music shows, the rodeo or a play, and paid for their gas and their hotel (with taxes). Our visitors received great value from our local businesses. When it comes down to it, every business and resident of Park County receives the positive benefit of money spent in our community by our guests

How do we put the lodging tax dollars to work in our communities? The Park County Travel Council (PCTC), our local lodging tax agency, is a Joint Powers Board created by the Park County Commission. It has volunteer citizen representation from our Park County communities, your neighbors and mine. They make decisions on how to best market our communities year-around and keep the flow of tourism coming our way, so that our local businesses will survive and thrive. They do so even through challenges of Covid, boom and bust oil, fires, floods and road closures. 

We are grateful for the work that PCTC does, along with our local chambers, as they promote the many world-class venues in Park County. They all exist because we’ve chosen to invest in our future.  

For a better understanding of the lodging tax and the impact it has on Park County check out two websites:

1. codyyellowstone.org — See an example of the quality tourism promotion created by our local team.

2. industry.travelwyoming.com/research/travel-economic-impacts/ — Review the Travel and Economic Impact report, which details why tourism is critically important to Park County and the state. See Page 110 for specifics on Park County.

We urge your continued support and “Vote For” the 2% optional lodging tax. It is a wise investment in the future success of our communities and residents.

James Klessens

Forward Cody