Town of Crested Butte

What Town of Crested Butte does

The Town of Crested Butte is a municipal government entity serving the residents, property owners, visitors, and businesses of Crested Butte, Colorado, located at 8,885 feet in the Gunnison County portion of the Rocky Mountains. Functioning as a political subdivision of the State of Colorado, the Town delivers the standard portfolio of local government services — water and wastewater utilities, public safety through its Marshal's Department, planning and permitting, parks/recreation/open space/trails (PROST), public works, community housing, transportation, sustainability, and cemetery operations — through seven departments staffed by approximately 50 personnel, administered by Town Manager Dara MacDonald and an elected Town Council.

The Town's underlying infrastructure includes water/wastewater treatment systems, transportation networks (including a multi-agency Red Lady Roundabout Project with FHWA, CDOT, Gunnison County, and Gunnison Watershed School District), public facilities such as an RV dump station, and digital service delivery via its official website and email alert system. Service delivery is organized through in-person offices at 507 Maroon Ave, online permitting/utility billing, and direct department contacts. The Town has pursued a structured strategic planning cycle, adopting the Community Compass (2022), Historic Preservation Plan (December 2024), and Community Plan (July 2025), alongside a Climate Action Plan developed with Brendle Group.

The Town's revenue mechanics are diversified across six primary streams: property tax, sales tax (heavily tourism-dependent), Real Estate Transfer Tax (3%, averaging ~$3.34M annually with high volatility), Vacation Rental Excise Tax (7.5%, dedicated to Paradise Park debt service through mid-2030s), utility billing (water/wastewater), and fees/licenses (permits, parking, RV dump). Approximately 439 non-primary residences (36% of housing stock) are a key revenue consideration. The Town has secured approximately $18.8M in grants over two years, including $15.27M through the federal Safe Streets for All program, materially expanding its capital program capacity beyond its recurring tax base.

Name

Town of Crested Butte

Legal name

Town of Crested Butte

Website

https://townofcrestedbutte.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Town of Crested Butte is a municipal government serving residents, property owners, and visitors of Crested Butte, Colorado, delivering utilities, public safety, planning, parks/recreation, and community housing through seven departments and approximately 50 staff.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Government Services

NAICS

Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Administration of Conservation Programs (924120)

SIC

Land Subdividers & Developers (No Cemeteries) (6552)

akta.pro primary industry

Parking & Curbside Management Authorities (Municipal Parking, Permits, Loading Zones) (BPAIALAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Right-of-Way & Vegetation Management (Utilities/Transportation Corridors) (BPABADAI)

Keywords

• Municipal government services
• Water wastewater utilities
• Public safety services
• Parks recreation management
• Community development planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Crested Butte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Property Tax: The Town collects property taxes which have been impacted by rapidly escalating property valuations, creating increased tax burden for long-tenured homeowners and those on fixed incomes.
2. Sales Tax: Primary revenue source heavily dependent on tourism, occupancy, and visitor spending patterns. Revenue fluctuates with seasonal visitors and part-time residents.
3. Real Estate Transfer Tax (RETT): 3% tax historically split 50% to Capital and 50% to Open Space. Average annual revenues of approximately $3.34M though collections are highly volatile year to year.
4. Vacation Rental Excise Tax: Current rate of 7.5%, with revenue committed to debt service on Paradise Park through mid-2030s.
5. Utility Billing: Water, wastewater, and utility services billed to residents and businesses, including progressive water rates and senior discounts.
6. Fees and Licenses: Building permits, business licenses, parking fees, RV dump station fees, and other municipal service fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Town of Crested Butte is a municipal government entity providing essential local government services to residents, visitors, and businesses in the mountain resort community of Crested Butte, Colorado. Its core services include water and wastewater utilities, public safety through the Marshal's Department, parks/recreation/open space/trails (PROST), planning and permitting, community housing, transportation, trash/recycle/compost, and sustainability programs. It also operates public facilities such as the seasonal RV Dump Station and cemetery, and provides digital services including document requests, alerts, and utility billing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Municipal Government Services Core local government services including document requests, elections, tax information, town council operations, town code access, fee schedules, budgets, and audits for residents, visitors, and property owners.
• Planning and Permitting Services Development review, building permits, zoning, community development, BOZAR board services, licensing and permitting, special events permitting, parking regulations, bids and RFPs for property owners, developers, event organizers, and businesses.
• Community Services Parks, recreation, open space and trails (PROST), cemetery services, community housing programs, marshal's/public safety, public works, sustainability initiatives, transportation, trash/recycle/compost, and utility billing delivered to residents, visitors, and businesses.
• Water and Wastewater Services Drinking water quality management and wastewater treatment services for residents and businesses, including published drinking water quality reports and progressive water rate structures with senior discounts.
• RV Dump Station Seasonal public facility offering waste disposal and water fill services for recreational vehicles, buses, and campers, with tiered unit pricing for RV/bus waste, water fill only, and septic/portable toilet waste.
• Long-Range Financial Planning Initiative Multi-year financial planning initiative addressing sustainable funding for town services, infrastructure maintenance, non-primary residence excise tax considerations, capital improvements, and open space.

Quantifiable outcome

• $18.8 million in grants secured over two years including $15.27M federal Safe Streets for All funding
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partner in Red Lady Roundabout Project, with Town working with CDOT on official design review and approvals for the intersection improvement.
• Gunnison Watershed School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Key partner in Red Lady Roundabout Project addressing school drop-off and pick-up traffic safety at the Sixth Street intersection.
• Gunnison CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partner in transportation projects and Roundabout development, working jointly on safety and mobility improvements.
• Kimley HorncoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2026Engineering and design firm serving as project design team for the Red Lady Roundabout Project, conducting traffic modeling and engineering analysis.
• Brendle GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnered with Brendle Group for 2022 GHG Emissions Inventory and Climate Action Plan development, providing technical analysis for climate action strategies.
• Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferenced as visitor resource partner in promoting tourism and visitor information for the Crested Butte area.
• Chamber of CommerceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChamber of Commerce referenced as helpful visitor resource partner for the community.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Town of Steamboat Springs: Colorado mountain resort municipality with overlapping services — water/wastewater utilities, parks and recreation, marshals, community development, and tourism-dependent revenue streams — and similar elevation and climate vulnerability profile.
• Town of Telluride: Small high-elevation Colorado resort town with a historic mining-era downtown, similar tourism-driven sales tax dependence, and comparable challenges around housing affordability and seasonal revenue volatility. Operates analogous planning, marshals, and PROST functions.
• Town of Breckenridge: Colorado ski resort town of comparable population scale with similar historic character, tourism-driven revenue mix (sales tax, RETT, vacation rental excise), and active planning around parking, transit, and workforce housing.
• Gunnison County: The county government that contains Crested Butte and partners with the town on transportation, safety, and infrastructure projects (including the Red Lady Roundabout). Operates an overlapping service portfolio at the county level and shares fiscal dynamics.
• Town of Vail: Colorado mountain resort town government of similar scale serving a tourism-heavy economy at high elevation. Operates comparable functions including parking management, vacation rental excise tax, public works, and community housing programs targeting workforce affordability.
• City of Aspen: Colorado mountain resort municipality with strong tourism brand, significant vacation rental and property tax revenues, and well-developed climate action and community housing programs. Comparable in function portfolio though larger in budget scale.

Regional players

• Town of Park City: Mountain resort town government in Utah with comparable tourism-economy structure, vacation rental management, and sustainability/climate initiatives. Geographically separate but operates an analogous municipal service portfolio and revenue mix.
• Town of Jackson: Wyoming mountain gateway community near Grand Teton/Yellowstone with similar tourism-driven revenue concentration, housing affordability crisis driven by second-home share, and active long-range financial planning efforts. Functions as a regional peer rather than a same-state competitor.

Broad incumbents

• City of Boulder: Larger Colorado municipality with established climate action, sustainability, and community housing programs that represent a more mature version of the trajectory Crested Butte is pursuing. Relevant as an incumbent reference point for program design and capacity, not a direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Town of Silverton: Smaller, more remote Colorado mountain town with a tourism and historic-mining profile analogous to Crested Butte but a less developed planning and revenue diversification footprint. Useful as a scaling comparison for emerging municipal capacity.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TownofCrestedButteColorado
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/townofcrestedbutte

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Town of Crested Butte