WHEATLAND – Over the course of the last few months, the nation has been in a time of change. With change comes uncertainty, and that typically results in people staying closer to home – not planning long trips. In Platte County, that may mean less people are renting overnight lodging, which in turn reduces the amount of lodging tax collected by the Wyoming Department of Revenue – and a smaller check deposited into the Platte County Lodging Tax and Tourism Joint Powers Board’s (PCLTB) bank account.
A little on the background: the 2024-2025 fiscal year began in July 2024, and at that time the PCLTB created a budget in line with anticipated revenues, with an operations budget of $232,500, based on the previous three years. (The final budgets for the last few years are publicly available on the county’s website under the “community” tab.)
In November, the general electorate voted to approve a measure that would keep the lodging tax revenue at 3% coming to Platte County for overnight stays at any temporary lodging facility or campground. Another change that happened after the 2024 general election was to give Platte County the 3% portion of the lodging tax collected by the Wyoming Department of Revenue at the two state parks located in Guernsey and Glendo. Prior to November 2024, none of the state-imposed lodging tax came back directly to Platte County.
By state statute, lodging tax revenue is required to be used for the purpose of promoting tourism to bring economic benefit locally. In Platte County, the joint powers board was established in 2014 (after the lodging tax was originally passed by the general electorate) to manage those funds with a five-member board consisting of at least one representative each from Glendo, Wheatland, Guernsey, Chugwater, and Platte County. The boards meet either monthly or bi-monthly, with meeting dates and times posted on the county’s website.
Since the lodging tax is based on travelers paying for overnight stays, the revenue generated fluctuates. A report by the Wyoming Department of Revenue analyzing data through fiscal year 2024 showed a 20 percent growth rate in Converse, Goshen, and Platte Counties. Recently, the trend has been the opposite of that, with less travelers and reduced lodging tax collections.
“When the check we deposit into the bank each month is $1,000 less than we pay [for the Chamber contract], that is a problem,” PCLTB secretary Curtis Hofrock said as evidence of the changes in tourism.
“It’s normal for disruptions in the economy affect tourism…but the drop-offs post-holidays into the last of the fiscal year is alarming to me,” PCLTB vice chair Phillip Ellis said, estimating there could be a shortfall of around $13,000 before the end of the fiscal year.
Taking into consideration the recent shortfalls and hopeful increase of funding from the state parks lodging tax collections, not to mention changes in marketing strategies, both Ellis and Hofrock believe things will balance out eventually. However, the changes have prompted discussions by the board that it is time to look closely at the budget and see where changes need to be made in the board’s strategic planning to ensure they’re fulfilling their duty of overseeing the lodging tax funding – and its mission of promoting tourism and travel – the best way possible for their stakeholders, which are the communities and businesses of Platte County.
At their April 1 meeting, a quorum of the board met (Ellis, Hofrock and Shawna Reichert; board president Jeston Cundall was absent from the meeting, and the Wheatland position is currently vacant). The board approved a motion to cancel a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Platte County Chamber of Commerce with a 60-day notice of termination, which will be June 1.
The MOU, which is renewed annually by both boards in May, provided the Chamber $57,500 from the PCLTB annually to pay for “deliverables,” (a term used to describe the duties required of board contracts). Under the MOU, the chamber and PCLTB are to work together to provide promotional materials and special events which promote tourism in the county, the Chamber is to provide staff to maintain a visitor center with regular hours Monday through Saturday, and the executive director is to attend conferences and meetings to promote Platte County as a destination for tourists and travelers. There is also a provision in the MOU for the Chamber to apply for a visitor center grant of up to $22,500 to operate the visitor center and for ground maintenance.
“The terms need to be re-negotiated and re-written because they are outdated,” Ellis said, explaining that though the lodging tax funds overseen by the PCLTB are paid for by travelers who stay in temporary lodging within Platte County, “I want to make sure the funds are used to benefit Platte County, and to do right by them. We can do that by looking closely at how we are managing things.”
PCLTB treasurer Shawna Reichert said, “The MOU has been talked about since October, so it’s no surprise. Historically, when there is a change in [U.S.] presidents, you often see a decline in [tourist] traffic.”

“We need to re-work the MOU to be fiscally responsible with what we are getting,” Hofrock said.
A second motion was made at the April 1 meeting related to the cancellation of the MOU: a request for a proposal for administrative services for the PCLTB.
“We wanted to separate the [two portions meshed together into the MOU],” Ellis said. “It makes sense for the chamber to do both of them, but we would like to have separate contracts. It’s an important part of the mission to have a visitor’s center. In the action taken, we want to revisit the visitor’s center and how to enhance tourism [even more] effectively at the Chamber of Commerce.”
The PCLTB also contributes funds to the Guernsey Visitor’s Center and in Chugwater (at the rest area from Labor Day through Memorial Day.)
The current MOU with the Chamber will still be in effect until June 1, at which time both Ellis and Hofrock said they hope to have a new MOU negotiated with the Platte County Chamber of Commerce board of directors.
Talks between the Chamber board and PCLTB will begin this month to negotiate contracts.
“I have every faith in our two boards to figure it out,” Chamber CEO Tresha Cancino said.
The statement is echoed by Ellis. “I agree there is value in the relationship – there is great symbiosis and synergy between the Platte County Lodging Tax and Tourism Board and the Platte County Chamber.”
“From my personal standpoint, there is value in a partnership with the Chamber. We need to try to protect that through a new MOU,” Hofrock said. “In the grand scheme of things, we both want people to come here and support businesses in Platte County: we share a lot of the same goals. We’ll work with each other to sort things out and make both [entities] successful.”
Calls to the Platte County Chamber of Commerce board president were not returned by press time.
Answering an inquiry as to how he thinks the board should approach next year’s budget, Ellis said he personally wants to take a conservative approach. He feels there will be room in funding for not only a Chamber contract, but a continued contract with Cheyenne marketing firm WestEdge.
He and Ellis both shared their appreciation for the board’s grant-funded contract to create a new marketing campaign with WestEdge a couple years ago, touting it as a shining example of the board’s success. The campaign was rolled out last year.
The board members said the marketing strategy makes drawing potential tourism to Platte County easy.
“From my perspective, we’ve done a very positive reset over the last two years in how we promote Platte County. We’ve gone to less brochures and more direct marketing on social media. We’ve also changed marketing terms – they are buzzy, edgy, and marketable,” Ellis said. “
Primarily, WestEdge created a unique and customized website sharing information on Wyoming’s Platte County (not the one in Nebraska or Missouri) at wyplatteco.com. The website changes seasonally to demonstrate the changes in available activities in the winter and summer seasons. It also features multiple high-quality photos and an easy-to-navigate format. PCLTB also pays for billboard advertising along I-25 and one in Rapid City, South Dakota. The take-home pamphlets feature each town in one cohesive county-wide pamphlet.
The PCLTB board has received many compliments on the website, and the campaign based on the Oregon Trail game catches attention, as demonstrated at a Denver, Colorado travel show attended by Ellis and Hofrock. The Denver show had 12,000 people attend in two days, and Platte County representatives talked to around 1,000 of them.
“We changed the narrative: instead of promoting a week-long vacation, we’re saying, ‘make it a long weekend. See what smaller communities can offer,’” Hofrock said.
“It was well received. The catch-phrases from WestEdge were funny and made it easy to start conversations with people,” Hofrock said.
Ellis said the play on the Oregon Trail particularly drew the attention of many people in the demographic of middle-aged families where the parents remember playing the Oregon Trail game.
Ellis added, it was reported to the PCLTB by the Chamber, there have been visitors who came after seeing the team at the Denver show, who said they were impressed by the Platte County booth and were happy to realize there were such interesting places to see and experience just a short drive away from their home.
Hofrock ended with an invitation for anyone willing to serve on the PCLTB. “There are currently two openings on the board for Guernsey and Wheatland; anyone interested can contact those towns to see what would be required for you to be appointed to the board.”
The PCLTB terms are for three years. The next meeting of the board is scheduled for 7 p.m. April 29 at the Platte County Chamber of Commerce. A public hearing on their upcoming fiscal year budget will be in June. Look for advertisements to be published showing the date, time, and place. The mailing address for the PCLTB has changed to PO Box 37, Wheatland, WY 82201.