Bigfork voluntary tourism tax gains supporters

Bigfork is moving forward with its voluntary tourist assessment.

That’s the word from Cheryl Richmond, who heads up the committee that organized it last year.

The Bigfork Tourist Promotion Assessment Committee gave up on putting a mandatory tax before the voters after it was deemed unworkable.

Bigfork, which is unincorporated, looked at Whitefish’s experience with its 2 percent resort tax. However, it is harder for an unincorporated area to implement the tax, Richmond said. The state’s resort tax law requires that area tourism revenue be greater than local residents’ incomes, she said.

The committee would have had to draw a boundary resembling a snake to qualify, and that would have left most Bigfork-area residents without a vote, she said. That was deemed unacceptable.

Instead, Bridge Street and Sleeping Bear lodges began a voluntary 1 percent assessment on visitors last summer. Since then, they have been joined by four other businesses: Marina Cay Resort, Flathead Lake Lodge, The Bigfork Playhouse and a vacation rental place.

Some 19 businesses pledged to submit annual fees ranging from $250 to $1,000. Sixteen of the pledges have been turned in over the past year totaling $3,400, committee treasurer Chuck Gough said. In addition, the 1 percent tax collected by businesses has totaled $3,375 to date, he said.

The money raised last year was used for a Bigfork Chamber of Commerce branding event and a full-page advertisement in the Missoulian during the spring. Another advertisement is planned for autumn with the theme, “Bigfork: Where Fall Begins.”

Eighty-two percent of the tourism revenue generated at Bigfork businesses comes during a nine-week period in the summer, Richmond said, citing state figures from Montana’s 7 percent accommodation tax.

“We’ve never really had the money to promote stuff in the winter,” Richmond said, adding that some of the assessment revenue could be used for that purpose in the future. Examples of things the money could be used for include improving the area’s cross country trails and an indoor skating rink. These would give people a reason to come to Bigfork.

Richmond said the committee will conduct a board member election sometime before Oct. 31. The election will be open only to those who have contributed tourism promotion money.

“We need a good board with a cross section of experience,” she said, noting the board will decide where future assessment money is used. The current transitional board was appointed.

An informational meeting for members and prospective members will be held at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 22, at The Bigfork Playhouse.

For more information, call Richmond at 871-1447.

Reporter Caleb Soptelean may be reached at 758-4483 or by e-mail at csoptelean@dailyinterlake.com.