By Ellie Boeschenstein EBS CONTRIBUTOR
The Big Sky Resort Area District is a special-purpose local government established to manage the resort tax in Big Sky. Funded by a tax on luxury goods and services, BSRAD allocates revenue to essential community needs, such as emergency services, transportation and infrastructure. Since its inception, the district has invested over $80 million into projects that support the growth and wellbeing of the Big Sky community.
Explore Big Sky got a chance to speak with Jenny Christensen, BSRAD’s deputy director, to learn more about her role and the organization’s involvement in the Big Sky community.
This series is part of a paid partnership with the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce. The following answers have been edited for brevity.
Explore Big Sky: Can you give a brief overview of the Big Sky Resort Area District and its primary mission?
Jenny Christensen: Big Sky Resort Area District is a special purpose district existing as a local government in Big Sky. The district is governed by a five-member, locally elected board of directors who serve four-year terms. The current board members are Board Chair Kevin Germain, Vice Chair Sarah Blectha, Secretary/Treasurer Grace Young, and Michelle Kendziorski and John Zirkle. In addition to the board the district has a staff team of five.
The BSRAD mission is to fairly collect tax for strategic investments to ensure the wellbeing of the Big Sky community. The vision of the organization is Big Sky is BETTER TOGETHER as a result of wise investments, an engaged community and the pursuit of excellence.
EBS: What is your role at BSRAD?
JC: I am the deputy director and have been with the district for five and a half years. With a small but mighty staff team, we all have many duties and work collaboratively. As deputy director I have a heavy focus on operations and get to be involved in most of the projects and initiatives the district is working on. A few of my key focuses are administrative oversight of our grant cycle from applications to review, and follow-through after funds are awarded. My involvement in the grant cycle has created an opportunity for me to work closely and collaboratively with all our government and nonprofit partners.
EBS: What are the biggest priorities for BSRAD right now?
JC: BSRAD is working and has been working on several community initiatives including the Capital Improvement Plan, which is a blueprint for the thoughtful investment in Big Sky’s infrastructure and public amenities. We have been active in the 2025 legislative session where we introduced two bills; HB162 and SB260. Most immediately the May election is just a few weeks away and we are in the midst of the Livable Big Sky campaign.
Livable Big Sky is about fostering a shared vision for a place where we all belong. By investing in the places and spaces where we live, play and connect as neighbors, we help make Big Sky a place we can all call home. On a mail-in ballot due May 6, voters will decide on key initiatives: Resort Tax Renewal, Cold Smoke Housing Bond, and Community Park Bond. These decisions will define Big Sky for generations to come. We encourage all Big Sky voters to learn more and vote in the upcoming election. Being a part of the Livable Big Sky campaign has been an exciting adventure because the campaign is much bigger and will live on beyond May. It is about creating a community where current and future generations can have the opportunity to live, work, and play. I am one of the lucky few who grew up here in Big Sky and have lived here most of my life and I see the Livable Big Sky initiatives as a way to create the opportunity for myself and others to call Big Sky home well into the future.
EBS: Can you speak to how the resort tax is collected and what portion stays in the local community?
JC: Resort tax is a 4% tax on luxury goods & services. The 4% tax is paid by customers, collected by businesses, administered by BSRAD, and reinvested in our community. One-hundred percent of the resort tax collected stays local. Resort tax provides property tax relief by funding essential services and improvements that would otherwise appear on property tax bills. It also funds local projects and programs that enrich and strengthen our community, which are provided by our government and nonprofit partners. Our annual Impact Report outlines how local resort tax is invested in Big Sky.
EBS: How does the district decide which projects or organizations receive funding?
JC: All budgeting and funding decisions are at the discretion of the locally elected Board Members. The budgeting process is an ongoing process that takes place throughout the entire year outlined in the graphic below. The part of the budgeting process that most community members are familiar with is our annual grant and allocation process in which there is an open call for grant applications from government and nonprofit organizations. The board reviews all applications received and makes funding decisions based on the application responses, project scores, public feedback, and other information. The board ultimately votes on how much funding each project will receive during a series of public meetings. As a government entity all our meetings, including application review meetings, are open to the public and we encourage everyone to engage and participate in decision-making throughout the whole year.
EBS: How does the district decide which projects or organizations receive funding?
JC: All budgeting and funding decisions are at the discretion of the locally elected Board Members. The budgeting process is an ongoing process that takes place throughout the entire year outlined in the graphic below. The part of the budgeting process that most community members are familiar with is our annual grant and allocation process in which there is an open call for grant applications from government and nonprofit organizations. The board reviews all applications received and makes funding decisions based on the application responses, project scores, public feedback, and other information. The board ultimately votes on how much funding each project will receive during a series of public meetings. As a government entity all our meetings, including application review meetings, are open to the public and we encourage everyone to engage and participate in decision-making throughout the whole year.
EBS: What are some recent projects or initiatives that you’re particularly proud of?
JC: When I first started with the district one of the first initiatives, I was involved in was improving and modernizing our grant process. Over the last five and a half years we have gone digital with our grant applications, integrated the grant cycle with CIP, and created budgets based on community need for grant funding. Since beginning my time with the district, I have been striving to have a grant process that is reflective and adaptive to community needs. When we launched Impact Area budgets in FY25 (our most recent grant cycle) I felt like BSRAD had found a way to budget and align funding with community needs and was proud to have been involved. We were able to commit over $23,000,000 to a variety of community priorities in FY25. Seeing the impact of these commitments through the success of the projects funded and the difference these projects and programs make in the lives of my Big Sky friends and neighbors has been and continues to be the most rewarding part of my work with BSRAD.
EBS: How has the growth of Big Sky affected your operations and planning efforts?
JC: For over 20 years the district had no more than a part-time staff person. As Big Sky has grown, so have the demands on the district. The staff team has grown to the five-member team we have today. To adapt to the growth and to help with planning efforts we adopted the organization’s first strategic plan in 2020. More recently we commissioned and adopted the CIP and will continue to keep this document updated to plan for the future.
EBS: What are some of the challenges BSRAD faces as Big Sky continues to evolve?
JC: The district is continually evolving and adapting to the changes and challenges facing our community. In 2020 we faced the challenge of COVID-19, BSRAD came together with our partners at Moonlight Community Foundation, Spanish Peaks Community Foundation, and Yellowstone Club Community Foundation to launch Big Sky Relief. This effort helped provide the community with free COVID tests and several grant opportunities for individuals and businesses alike. Also in 2020, the community approved the 1% for infrastructure to fund growing water and sewer infrastructure needs. The current Livable Big Sky initiatives the community will see on the May ballot are in response to growing large-scale community capital needs. To meet them the district is looking to expand our financing tools via the ability to bond. A bond is a financial tool that allows a government entity to borrow money for large-scale projects, repaying it over time with interest. If approved, bonding will allow the district to fund the Cold Smoke land and horizontal infrastructure and renovations at the Community Park over time. Big Sky voters should keep their eyes peeled for ballots, they will need to be returned to the elections office by May 6.
EBS: Is there anything else you would like to share?
JC: As a local government entity, all district meetings are open to the public, and as an organization, we strive to do everything collaboratively and transparently. We encourage community members to participate and engage with us however they are able. Either by attending board meetings (virtually or in-person), watching our meeting recordings, signing up for our newsletter, following us on social media, or connecting with board and staff members. Visit our website for more information on how to engage.
