The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Hundreds sold in presale
There’s a first time for everything. During a February 2 meeting, the Mt. Crested Butte Town Council agreed to Crested Butte Mountain Resort’s grant request for $25,000 to help pay for a Yonder Mountain String Band concert at the mountain on March 27. It marked the first time admissions tax dollars will be used for an event in Mt. Crested Butte.
According to Daren Cole, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for CBMR, they sold 483 tickets during the presale that ran through Monday, February 15. General public tickets will go on sale February 22 for $35 per ticket.
The town’s Admissions Tax Fund is restricted, and the funds may be spent only on transportation, marketing and events, according to Mt. Crested Butte Town Manager Joe Fitzpatrick. The Town Council determines how the funds will be spent, he said. However a minimum of 25 percent of the funds must be spent on transportation. Events were first made eligible for Admissions Tax Funds use last November after voters reapproved the 4 percent tax.
After running a story on the event in a previous issue, the News received a couple of inquiries regarding how the $25,000 will be spent, whether there are strings attached, and how the event will impact the town from a business perspective.
Fitzpatrick said the money can be used by CBMR for any and all expenses related to the event.
“The goal is to make this an ongoing event for the end of the ski season,” said Fitzpatrick. “Thus the $25,000 of support from the Admission Tax Fund is to help to start this event. The event will be packaged with event tickets, lodging, lift tickets, transportation, etc. The visitors that come to our communities will generate both sales tax dollars and admissions tax dollars, since admissions tax will be charged on the event tickets and the lift tickets. Hopefully the visitors will also generate sales tax from lodging, retail, and restaurant sales. Additionally some visitors will go to Crested Butte and generate sales tax dollars from retail, restaurant, lodging, etc.”
Cole echoed Fitzpatrick’s sentiment that the goal is to make this a long-term event.
According to Cole, CBMR and the band have reached a one-year agreement. The price to book Yonder Mountain is confidential per a non-disclosure agreement in the band’s contract. The estimated cost of the event was not available as of press time.
Fitzpatrick addressed why the Town Council was supporting the show. “The Town Council is supporting the event for the good of Mt. Crested Butte, Crested Butte, all local businesses in both communities and Crested Butte Mountain Resort,” he said. “Crested Butte Mountain Resort is taking the risk in starting the event with all of the associated costs of putting on the event, which are in addition to the cost of the band. If the event has any chance of success it must be supported by a major marketing campaign, which will have a significant price tag.”
Admissions Tax Funds are open to all local businesses through an application process with the Town Council. The application form is on the Town’s Web site: www.mtcrestedbuttecolorado.us.
