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A committee is being formed in Billings to raise funds to help compensate losses usually incurred by MetraPark when they bid on high school athletic events.

Representatives of the Big Sky Economic Development Board and the MetraPark Advisory Board have formed the committee, which will be asking for contributions from local hospitality businesses and retailers who are the most direct beneficiaries of the economic activity the events bring to Billings.

Because the Montana High School Association (MHSA) will not allow MetraPark to charge fans the improvement fee that is usually part of every ticket sale, MetraPark was unable to cover about $97,000 in “wear and tear” costs on its facilities last year.

This year, Yellowstone County Commissioners have directed MetraPark management to prepare bids for the events which are revenue neutral, with the hope that the funds raised can lower the bids to a level competitive with other venues in the state.

Bids are due to the Montana High School Association on April 1 to host high school athletic competitions in 2014.

The deficit is nothing new for MetraPark; historically the facility has absorbed the loss each year. It has increasingly become a bone of contention within the community as Yellowstone County Commissioners and the Metra Park Advisory Board have tried to find other means to cover the cost, rather than just absorbing it. The united effort to try to resolve the problem has been, to some degree forced by actions of the Yellowstone County Commissioners, who oversee the management of MetraPark.

Recognizing the importance of bringing the basketball, track and wrestling tournaments to the local economy, the County Commissioners say they are willing to forego any revenue generation, but they don’t believe the county-owned facility should have to “eat” the costs associated with the events, especially when there are other entities and funds which are dedicated to economic development in the community.

One county commissioner, Jim Reno, is not supportive of the fundraising effort saying that he believes there have been funds already established through taxpayer revenues with the intent of supporting economic development efforts, such as bringing state tournaments to the city.

An almost $1 million county wide mill levy funds Big Sky Economic Development, for the purposes of economic development.

“MetraPark staff shouldn’t be fundraising,” said Reno, “their purpose is not economic development, but to manage the facility.”

But BSED doesn’t believe it is their role, either. In the past, board members and staff at BSED have stated that their mission does not involve providing funds for events at MetraPark.

The Billings Chamber of Commerce, through the Board that administers the revenue raised through the Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) contributes $10,000 for each MHSA tournament, for a total of $30,000 each year. They also have spent about $6000 each year for the past six years in sponsoring a hospitality room for coaches and officials at the wrestling tournament. The TBID is a special taxing district that collects tax revenue from guests of hotels and motels for the purpose of increasing visitation to Billings.

About a third of MetraPark’s budget comes from tax revenues either through a direct mill levy or in expenditures approved by the County Commissioners from the General Fund, explained Reno.

The revenues generated by the sporting events goes to the Montana High School Association, which then portions it out to the participating schools to help finance their sport programs and travel expenses.

Reno said that he accepts MHSA’s right to establish whatever terms they want in requesting bids for events.

Reno has stated previously that, after what he calls a “twenty year social experiment,” it is time to let the taxpayers of Yellowstone County decide if they want to continue with the mill levy that is imposed to fund BSED. The levy was imposed by Yellowstone County Commissioners at the formation of BSED without making it a ballot issue.

While the County Commissioners have no authority over the operations or administration of BSED, they do ultimately hold the purse strings.