GRANTS, N.M. – The City of Grants Lodgers Tax Board allowed each applicant 15 minutes to present their funding request for the Fiscal Year 2021-22. Nine non-profit groups have applied for the upcoming funding cycle, which begins on July 1.
The three largest requests were made by the Grants-Cibola County Chamber of Commerce, $142,433, the Friends of the New Mexico Mining Museum, $90, 332, and the Grants Rodeo Association, $48,500.
The five-member board is anticipating $250,000 in revenue based on last year’s budget. Chair Scott Gray recommended that the funding be distributed in two cycles – $125,000 in July and the same amount again in November. He noted that by November the city will have a better idea of how much lodgers tax has been collected.
Chair Gray acknowledged that the city collects the tax and retains a portion of the revenue. Ten precent can be used for salaries plus the annual maintenance cost for the Mining Museum elevator is paid from lodgers’ tax. And approximately $30,000 is designated to pay for one month of the Santa Fe Avenue streetlighting each year. The remaining revenue is then distributed to eligible non-profit organizations.
The Chamber of Commerce and Mining Museum share the same building on Iron Street and Brenda Curtright serves as executive director for both entities. She explained that neither can open to the public until the elevator repairs have been completed. The city pays for the elevator repairs because it is considered a capital asset, according to Curtright.
The Chamber was not eligible for the federal stimulus money, but the Mining Museum was awarded $30,000 during the pandemic. Curtright explained that part of the funding request includes $10,000 to replace one of the building windows. Only one company in the state provides that type of service because of the glass size and hazards inherent in the installation process.
Jamie Holton, Grants Rodeo Association, reported that the organization hosted only the Fourth of July rodeo during 2020 because of the pandemic. They issued $8,500 in refunds because of cancellations at the Cow Palace. The group was awarded $20,000 in federal stimulus money, which Holton said “kept us alive” during the last year. She added that every weekend in May has been booked for rodeos and most are two- or three-day events. The engineers have made progress on the cover for the outdoor arena. The goal is to complete the structure in November or December.
JoAnne Martinez, Grants MainStreet Project, Inc., requested $39,797. The non-profit is focused on two activities – the annual Holiday Light Parade and preparations for the 2022 Fire & Ice Bike Rally. She acknowledged that the organization has faced numerous challenges in the past few years including changes in the director position. Martinez noted that billboards on Interstate 25 near Santa Fe and Albuquerque would help attract visitors to Grants because of the numerous outdoor attractions in Cibola County.
Chair Gray responded that he thought MainStreet should focus on Historic Route 66 as a means of promoting tourism. Santa Fe Avenue and Route 66 are the same street through downtown Grants.
“We have the longest stretch of Route 66 in the U.S. here in Cibola County,” stressed Gray.
“That should be the focus because Route 66 never goes away – it’s a permanent tourist attraction.”
The Mount Taylor Quadrathlon asked for $20,000. Special Event permits were not available during the pandemic. Both the U.S. Forest Service and the New Mexico Department of Transportation refused to authorize the annual Quad and the group hosted a virtual event which attracted 38 participants this year.
Chad Gaines noted that the Cibola Trail Alliance and the Quad remain as separate entities. The CTA, which requested $10,000, hosts events, and collaborates with other groups to promote multi-use trails in this area; the Quad is a once-a-year event.
Jackie Heath, Cibola County Historical Society Museum, described the challenges the volunteers faced this past winter. The High Street building’s heating system failed; they city replaced the furnace a few weeks ago and the group plans to open the museum next month. The CCHS requested $5,000.
Steve Owen, CCHS Aviation Museum in Milan, asked for $4,000. He shared the visitor log from the past 18 months. Owen emphasized the number of national and international visitors who had signed in even though the museum is only open for four hours once a week.
Robert Gallegos spoke on behalf of the Double Six Gallery and Cibola Arts Council. He described the impact that COVID had on CAC programming. He reported that the CAC hosted 58 exhibits in 2019 but only 14 in 2020. They did not apply for stimulus funding. The Fluorspar Mining exhibit has been donated to the Mining Museum and the Zuni Mountains Logging display was given to the Grants Public Library. The Route 66 exhibit is a permanent display at the gallery, which is in downtown Grants on Historic Route 66. Gallegos spoke favorably about the Chamber’s plans to promote the area’s four museums: the CCHS, N.M. Mining, the CCHS Aviation site in Milan, and the Double Six Gallery. Each offers visitors unique information about this area he said. Gallegos commented that people plan their vacations to include travel on Historic Route 66.
The LTB agreed during the April 15 session to make their recommendations on the nine applications after reviewing each at the May 20 meeting. Chair Gray reiterated that the LTB functions only as an advisory board. They make funding recommendations to the city council which is responsible for allocating the money.
Visit cityofgrants.net or call 505-287-7927 for more information.