Lodgers Tax Allocation Meeting - January 13, 2026

On January 13, 2026, the City Council convened to review a budget report indicating a year-to-date surplus of $35,000 and an available balance of approximately $192,000 for the remainder of the fiscal year, with a specific allocation of $64,000 available for the night's requests totaling $145,250. The board deliberated on five grant requests from local organizations seeking funding for tourism and community events, adjusting their proposals based on historical allocations and current budget constraints before voting on the final funding amounts.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes from the previous meeting were moved, seconded, and approved unanimously by the board.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Clovis Music Festival: The presenter noted that while radio advertising remains constant, Facebook ad reach increased to 1.1 million, though TV streaming ad reach dropped significantly from nearly 200,000 in the prior year to 69,000 due to budget reductions. They highlighted a commitment to booking 50 hotel rooms for artists and staff.
• Pioneer Days Rodeo (Bob Hoffman): The treasurer emphasized that their target audience includes Eastern New Mexico and Western Texas and stated they were the only PRCA rodeo in the area. He reported expectations of over 500 contestants and a potential attendance of 10,000 people for an "Americana" themed event, with attendees contributing to local lodging and fuel consumption.
• Lions Club: The representative requested funding for advertising to attract out-of-town visitors to their gun show (March 13-15). They noted a typical attendance of 2,000 people, 125 vendors, and an average of 50 hotel room stays over four days, with visitors coming from Arizona, West Texas, and Colorado.
• Operation Phoenix Outdoors (Chris Egbert): The CEO stated that their annual banquet typically supports the local economy by putting funds back into the community. Last year, they reported putting approximately $46,000 back into Clovis. The speaker highlighted their outreach efforts regarding veteran suicide prevention (citing "22 veterans a day") and noted their event helps stimulate the economy beyond just tourism metrics.
• Dragon Main: The presenter attributed a decrease in reach (from 250,000 to 90,000) and a drop in attendance for the Gearhead Gathering (dropping a third) to reductions in radio spending and the decision to halve the marketing budget similar to the Music Festival. They reported 50 room nights and dominant attendance from Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.

Discussion Items

• Budget Constraints: Chair Thomas Martin and members discussed the available $64,000 balance against the $145,000 in requests. There was a specific discussion about aligning funding with historical allocations and remaining budget limits.
• Clovis Music Festival: The board initially debated between $10,000 and $20,000. While the presenter requested $20,000, board members noted they received $30,000 in the prior year. Following a brief confusion regarding the exact previous amount recorded (with some members citing $10,000 and others $30,000), a proposal to grant $10,000 was brought forward.
• Pioneer Day Rodeo: The board deliberated on a request of $40,000 versus a previous allocation of $10,000 to $20,000. Consensus formed to grant $10,000 for this meeting.
• Lions Club: After reviewing a request of $9,250 and noting previous expenditures of $5,000 to $6,000, the board settled on a proposal to grant $6,000.
• Operation Phoenix Outdoors: The speaker requested $13,500. The board recalled a previous grant of $8,250 and discussed whether to approve $8,000 or $9,000. The group decided to recommend $9,000 to help cover event costs.
• Dragon Main: The board analyzed a request to reclaim previous reach numbers. With a remaining budget of $27,000 if no adjustments were made, a proposal to allocate $29,000 was made to bring the total allocation closer to the $64,000 available balance. However, Chair Martin suggested $30,000. The board agreed to the $30,000 figure, noting it would result in a total allocation of $65,000, placing them slightly over the $64,000 target but accounting for future smaller requests.

Key Outcomes

• Clovis Music Festival: Approved for $10,000 (Motion passed unanimously).
• Pioneer Day Rodeo: Approved for $10,000 (Motion passed unanimously).
• Lions Club: Approved for $6,000. (Note: The transcript indicates the motion was "approved" generally for the list, and the board consensus was "six thousand"; however, the final motion text in the transcript only explicitly confirms the Clovis Music Festival and Pioneer Day votes before the Dragon Main adjustment. The Lions Club and Operation Phoenix amounts were agreed upon in discussion as "six thousand" and "nine" respectively).
• Operation Phoenix Outdoors: Approved for $9,000 (Discussed and agreed upon).
• Dragon Main: Approved for $30,000 (Motion passed unanimously).
• Total Allocation: The combined grants sum to $65,000, slightly exceeding the $64,000 identified as the available balance for the meeting.
• Next Steps: No further business was transacted. The Council noted upcoming items for future meetings included the Closed Softball Association, New Mexico Cup, ropings, barrel racing, run to Hillcrest, Home and Garden Show, and Hunters Coalition.