Frequently asked questions

What will I be voting on and what is it all about?

Referendum 2A will create additional money for the City of Trinidad to address a number of unmet needs and improvements in parks, trails, playgrounds and more.

It will also enable to City to pursue new opportunities for events, conventions, and tourism.

The referendum will accomplish this by increasing the Lodging Tax by 3% to a total of 6%. This new rate is comparable to similar communities in Colorado.

What is the Lodging Tax and who pays for it?

The Lodging Tax is paid by visitors to Trinidad as a percentage of their hotel or AirBnB bill.

Right now, it is 3%. Increasing the tax to 6% will only amount to a few dollars per night -- on a $90 hotel stay, it would add $2.70 to the total bill.

Lodging Taxes are placed in a special fund by the City and are only allowed to be used for activities geared towards increasing visitation and local Quality of Life improvements.

Who will provide oversight of the new funds and how they are spent?

The City of Trinidad requires a Lodging Tax Advisory Board, consisting of Trinidad citizens, to provide oversight and input on the spending of lodging tax funds.

In addition, the City is creating a Lodging Tax Committee internally to provide additional internal scrutiny and track lodging fund dollars from end to end.

Who can vote on this?

Trinidad residents who are registered voters within the city.

How do I vote?

All citizens who are registered to vote will receive a mail in ballot via postal service. If you do not wish to mail in your ballot, you may drop it off at:

Las Animas County Clerk & Recorder's Office
200 E. First Street
Trinidad, CO 81082

You may also vote in person on November 5th at the Las Animas County Courthouse, Room 207 from 7am-7pm.

What can Lodging Tax Funds be spent on?

Click here to see a list of projects and organizations previously supported by the Lodging Tax Fund.

Below is the City ordinance describing how Lodging Tax funds may be spent.

(a) Thirty-five (35) percent for sustainable tourism marketing, including advertising and attracting conferences, conventions, capital expenditures, and meetings;

(b) Twenty (20) percent for personnel and expenses related to tourism including, but not limited to, the welcome center and a Convention and Visitors Bureau;

(c) Thirty (30) percent for maintenance, improvement, and development of quality of life facilities and programs;

(d) Ten (10) percent to support art and cultural events, programs, and facilities; and

(e) Five (5) percent for any of the above purposes or other purposes related to the impacts of tourism as the City Council may determine.

(f) Any money left unspent following inclusion in an annual budget shall be held in reserves and allocated according to the provisions above for the following fiscal year.

How much money are we talking about here?

The current Lodging Tax is 3% and the estimated Lodging Tax Fund for 2024 is $500,000. Doubling the rate would lead to an estimated total fund in 2025 of $1,000,000.