Committee looking for questions on resort tax

By ALEX STRICKLAND / Bigfork Eagle

Before they can give all the answers, Bigfork's Resort Tax Committee is looking to get all the questions.

The committee, filled with almost entirely different people from the original exploratory resort tax committee, is talking to residents and business owners to find out what people want to know about a resort tax before steps are taken to move the issue forward to a ballot.

Cheryl Richmond, the committee's chairperson, said the group was charged with finding out questions and answers from the community.

An early step in that process was to submit a potential resort tax area to the Montana Department of Revenue, and the committee's first proposed map was rejected. The reason the state gave, according to Richmond, was that the area encompassed too much of a residential area in Eagle Bend that consisted of largely retirees with "passive income."

A new map was submitted, and Richmond said the initial response from the state was favorable, though myriad delays in that office has postponed an official acceptance.

The proposed map, which encompasses downtown Bigfork as well as the main arteries around town, cannot include more than 2,500 people in accordance with state law concerning unincorporated communities forming resort tax districts.

Once a map is accepted, public meeting must be held and signatures gathered on a petition to bring the issue before voters.

Originally, Richmond said, the plan was to try to get the issue on the November ballot, but because of the state's delays, that is all but impossible at this point.

Consultants estimate that a 3 percent tax on luxury goods like food and drink at restaurants and accommodations could bring in between $500,000 and $700,000 each year for Bigfork, something Richmond said would go a long way toward helping update the village's aging infrastructure.

"The County's not going to help Bigfork, and why should they?" she said. "We need to help ourselves."

Though nothing would be official until the issue passed muster with voters and a board was elected, the money would likely go toward marketing the village, the sewer and water department and other community projects as deemed fit.

Richmond, who owns and operates Sleeping Bear Lodge in Bigfork, said in her talks with business owners around town most have been willing to listen and ask questions about the resort tax.

"People think tax is a four letter word," she said. "It's just how we are in Montana."

Other communities around the state that have instituted a resort tax include West Yellowstone, Red Lodge, St. Regis, Big Sky and Whitefish.

Whitefish recently voted their tax back in for 20 years with a wide margin of approval, Richmond said. When the issue first came before voters 10 years ago it barely passed.

"Look at all the things they've been able to do in Whitefish," Richmond said. "We could do that here."

Questions can be e-mailed to resorttax@bigfork.org.