The last couple of years, Winnemucca's Convention and Visitors Authority has had the room tax funding to make many investments in community facilities and events being brought into town.
Board members have been supportive of fund raising efforts for a whole host of causes and have given numerous facility grants to cover the cost for using the convention center and fairgrounds events center.
The purpose of the WCVA is to use and manage room tax revenue to bring more people into town for events, and to invest in community events and facilities.
But it appears the times may be changing. Room tax revenue has been down for several months and it appears 2014 may be a little leaner as well. WCVA is still supporting events and facilities but board members are starting to suggest to those who come in for funding that it may not always be so.
Last year, Winnemucca Regional Raceway Association asked for and received $18,000 from the WCVA, $5,000 in the form of a grant and $14,000 that they agreed to pay back over a couple of years. However, they paid off their debt early, even before the end of the racing season.
This month they were back to request additional funding.
WRRA is planning two-day racing on four weekends this spring and summer, with intermission shows that are events themselves. Their May race will feature motocross stunt man Keith Sayer, who will perform in two shows Friday and two Saturday. The next race weekend will feature an intermission with monster trucks on Friday and Saturday. On another race weekend, the American Daredevil is coming to do shows for intermission.
"Intermission events draw a whole other group of people," Mike Scott told the board, adding when WRRA has had intermission events, they've doubled or tripled their attendance. Running races two days a weekend rather than one this year will save them track prep and insurance cost. Scott said racers coming into town will stay in local motels, increasing the room tax.
WRRA received a total of $22,000 in funding after describing their plans for their facility and for additional promotional events for the coming racing season. WRRA will be expected to repay half that amount, the other half will be a grant. But before they left. board chairman Terry Boyle said, "We've been pretty flush the last few years, but the last few months we've been down and we may not always be able to grant to these type events so you need to work toward being self-sufficient."
WCVA gave a facility grant for the Winnemucca FFA Alumni Scholarship Dinner in February. Winnemucca Balloons requested $10,000 to help put on their hot air balloon event. After answering a number of questions regarding their event plans, promotion, and funding, they received $3,000 in the form of a grant and a $7,000 they'll be expected to pay back.
A new event, The Nevada All-Around Cow Horse Championship July 11-12, expects to bring several hundred people to town for the three-day event. Promoters want to add this event to the National Reining Cow Horse event and said the two events will fill the Events Center facility, indoors and out. WCVA Director Kim Peterson spoke in favor of monetary support for the event.
"These people are, in most cases, people who have money to spend in town; they'll stay in hotels and motels locally." WCVA granted $10,000 for the Cow Horse Championship, $5,000 in the form of a grant, $5,000 as a loan. They granted $8,000 for the reining event, $4,000 grant, $4,000 loan.[[In-content Ad]]
