GILLETTE, Wyo. — CAM-PLEX may ask for a tax increase to fund expansion and improvement that would support serving customers like the National High School Rodeo Association.
At its Aug. 10 meeting, the Campbell County Public Land Board unanimously approved accepting a letter of intent from the association that if, by January 2025, the community funds improvements that meet its needs, it will make a 10-year commitment to holding its event annually at CAM-PLEX.
Executive Director Aaron Lyles said it’s “conservatively, a $100 million offer,” considering the economic impact of past rodeos.
“What it means for the community of Gillette is that it basically says the high school rodeo association loves Gillette,” he said. “They’re excited at the prospect that we might be considering as a community meeting some of their needs to move indoors.”
Lyles said the association recognizes that the CAM-PLEX has solely given the association about half of what it requested for facility changes. While he’s not sure that the association has options that are better than CAM-PLEX, the American Royal Center facility in Kansas City, which previously had future contracts with the association, is conducting site improvements, so CAM-PLEX does now have a national competitor back on the table.
Still, he told the association that he didn’t believe he could approach the Campbell land board or Gillette residents and propose a master plan that had significant site impacts based on the association’s request unless the association would formally indicate that it was committed to Gillette.
“And how do you go to the community, which likely this is cap ex, special tax initiative, how do you go to them if you don’t have anchor tenants to justify being here?” Lyles said.
The association, therefore, drafted a letter that effectively says that if by the end of 2024 the community has committed to funding facility improvements that support keeping the rodeo in Gillette, the association will make a 10-year commitment beginning in 2030, Lyles said. That funding might involve a tax initiative. The community needs to decide whether it wants to develop the infrastructure.
“If we get it funded and give them a timeline they’ll come to it for 10 years,” Lyles said.
CAM-PLEX has been meeting with its master planning contractors and Populous Principal and Director of Equestrian Services Todd Gralla. The master planning team is studying what the CAM-PLEX and the surrounding area offer, the history of CAM-PLEX operations, how CAM-PLEX competes with similar facilities and industry trends to make recommendations that are economically and financially sustainable as well as savvy so the CAM-PLEX best benefits the area. CAM-PLEX staff will review feedback from the National High School Finals Rodeo and home in on financial modeling for programming, Lyles said in his executive report for the July board meeting.
At the time the Wyoming Center was built, the focus was flat-floor business, not arena-style spectating, and the master planners are working to meet viewing issues, he said. The association understands that the master plan is a draft plan and that if the indoor arena couldn’t be completed until 2031, it could make a 10-year commitment that would begin in 2031. The master planners believe the facility improvements could take six or seven years to complete because of the sourcing of the mechanical systems. Lots of large mechanical systems are taking two years to order.
Providing a climate-controlled arena would benefit many clients, Lyles said. The master planners have also surveyed about 70 national entities about whether they would consider booking the space. Within a regional market, sports tourism is the CAM-PLEX’s top business opportunity and economic driver.
CAM-PLEX will need to approach local government officials and ask for the item to be included on the ballot as a special capital tax, if the board agrees on that, Lyles said. He anticipates that since 2024 is a presidential election cycle year, it may be hard to get support for the initiative.
“We just need to be totally transparent about what it is that we’re doing, and let the community decide for themselves if they want it or not,” he said.
He said that for many, the reality of the Wyoming Center may not match the narrative that they heard at the time, but it’s been a massive success financially for the community in terms of dollars it brings in from events, regardless of whether it’s been a total success from an operations perspective.
“And I think that we have to answer that operating question going forward,” he said.
The proposal could specify that the tax collection includes a maintenance fund, he said.
Here’s the letter of intent the association provided and the board approved:
Director of Finance ReNae Keuck said that this year, the rodeo brought in $30,000 more, just in ticket revenue, over last year.
Lyles said that the CAM-PLEX will survey different market segments, customers, vendors, contestants and volunteer groups about this year’s event, which had record RV sales and ticket sales. prompting increased costs. CAM-PLEX has calculated its revenues from the event and — while invoices are still coming in from providers, which will decrease its net income, and despite increased costs — the facility will outperform the records it set last year.
The master planners are obligated to allow the board to review their plan at the board’s Sept. 14 meeting, Lyles said. The master planners have been very careful not to create a wish list. Instead, they’re looking from an operational and financial perspective. The master planners’ final, public presentation will take place sometime in late September or early October.
The board also unanimously approved a $91,626.50 bid with Barbizon Light of the Rockies for Phase 1 of a stage lighting upgrade and a roughly $370,000 bid with AVI Systems for a CAM-PLEX video wall. Wipliance bid roughly $355,000 and didn’t meet the full list of items CAM-PLEX requested.