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TOWN OF WICKENBURG Bed Tax Contingency Funding Steve Boyle, Director of Community Development December 1, 2025 • What is Bed Tax? – tax on lodging stays of short duration. • How is it collected? – Lodging operators collect tax from the guest as part of the bill. Operators then remit the tax to the taxing authority via the TPT framework. • Who sets the rates? – State sets a rate as well as many county, city/towns set additional rates. • Total in contingency = $100,129 Bed Tax Funding 2 Bed Tax Funding 3 • How is the revenue distributed? • A portion of the funds are retained by the jurisdiction that levied it. A portion is given out in the form of grants from the State. • Typically, funds are used for tourism promotion, special events, marketing and visitor centers. Taxing Entity Rate for Lodging Tax State 5.50% Maricopa County 1.77% Wickenburg 3.0% Total 10.27% Bed Tax Funding 4 If you imagine a $150/night room in Wickenburg: State portion: $150 × 5.50% = $8.25 County portion: $150 × 1.77% = $2.66 Town portion (Wickenburg): $150 × 3.00% = $4.50 Total “bed tax” collected from that stay: $15.41 Bed Tax Marketing Grant 5 • Grant funds are awarded from the State to local jurisdictions based on the Bed Tax/lodging tax collected • Grant is designed for tourism advertising OUTSIDE Maricopa County - with the idea to attract new dollars in tourism rather than just move dollars around inside the county • Up to 20% of grant funding can be used inside Maricopa County • Majority of tourists are day-trippers from the Valley • Visitors often stop in Wickenburg while traveling to other locations • Activities and Events like shopping, dining, golfing, recreation & roping attract the day-trippers • New County campground will attract additional local-area visitors Why In-County Advertising Matters 6 Targeted Area for Day-Trippers 7 The Phoenix Metro area alone exceeds 5 million residents, making it the single largest source of potential staycation visitors to Wickenburg. When combined with nearby drive markets like the Prescott area, population bases swells further. Why Additional Funds Are Needed 8 • Approx $35,000 awarded to Town from Prop 302 Grant Funds • Wasatch Mountain Media was selected for tourism marketing campaign • Marketing Campaign targets our season until end of March 2026 • Only ~$6,000 from the awarded grant can be used inMaricopa County • Additional funds from Bed Tax Contingency will: – Capture highvalue daytrip market (Maricopa County) – Promote Wickenburg events and tourism – Potentially increase spending in restaurants, shops, golf courses, & recreational services • Ensures Wickenburg competes effectively for regional visitors Top Tier Proposal 9 Supplemental Creative Budget – Top Tier Proposal from Wasatch Mountain Media Budget Range: Up to $30,000 additional investment Creative Assets Produced: • Google Paid Ads Search: Keywords: “staycation Arizona,” “weekend getaways near Phoenix,” “things to do near Prescott.” • Meta (Facebook/Instagram): Target Phoenix Metro + Prescott area. Slide ads: • Retargeting: Keep Wickenburg top-of-mind for internet visitors and social influencers. • Display/Geofencing: Serve geo-targeted display ads in Phoenix, Glendale, Scottsdale, Prescott, and surrounding suburbs. Geofence high-value ZIP codes (Scottsdale/Paradise Valley, Goodyear/Surprise for family audiences). – there is more…… Top-Tier Proposal 10 Continued: • Run seasonal creative ads aligned with events (Fall/Winter/Spring Events). • Extend impression reach beyond Meta/Google ecosystem to maximize frequency. • YouTube / Streaming: Video ads promoting events & itineraries. • Serve only to Phoenix Metro & Prescott users who’ve visited the site or engaged with Social Media platforms. • Hiring Influencers / Local Bloggers • Paid Boosting of Itineraries & Content Mid-Tier Proposal 11 Supplemental Creative Budget – Mid Tier Proposal from Wasatch Mountain Media Budget Range: $15,000–$20,000 additional investment in professional photography and video to cover both evergreen and event-specific needs. Creative Assets Produced: • 20–25 static images (Western heritage, desert scenery, rodeos, Bluegrass Festival, Gold Rush Days, outdoor adventure). Social Media/Google • Video clips (15–30 seconds) for events and evergreen brand spots, formatted for social media, YouTube, and streaming TV leveraging drones and other videographer tools. • Professional photography in both vertical (social) and horizontal (web/print) formats. Entry-Tier Option 12 Supplemental Creative Budget – Entry-Tier Proposal from Wasatch Mountain Media Budget Range: $10,000–$15,000 investment Creative Assets Produced for the Valley: • Bolster existing social media- 60-70% of the budget o Add in YouTube and/or Steaming TV advertising to start increasing Wickenburg brand awareness. o Create additional static images (10-15) alongside video creative for use streaming tv and social media advertising. Questions? 13