This second Economic Vitality Dashboard provides information from the month of January and 2016 year-to-date (YTD) totals where possible. Despite the low snow totals, a robust Martin Luther King weekend helped boost skier visits. There are several items where the data come from the state of Vermont Departments of Taxes and Labor. For those, October numbers are the latest available so those items will always be one quarter behind. The latest real estate sales numbers that are available are from December 2015. The lodging line items are compiled in various ways with some entities reporting information confidentially and that information aggregated for the Dashboard. Only one person sees all the “raw” data. The line item numbers are compiled as follows:
• Skier Visits – from Sugarbush and Mad River Glen.
• Web Visits – from Sugarbush, Mad River Glen and MRV Chamber of Commerce websites.
• Weddings - from town clerks - Warren, Waitsfield, Fayston; marriage licenses issued.
• Snowfall – from Sugarbush “at the stake.”
• Lodging Reservations Projected for three months forward – from 11 lodging properties reporting.
• Lodging Occupancy % for prior month - from 11 lodging properties reporting.
• Rooms Receipts, Meals & Alcohol Receipts, Retail Sales, Total Sales Receipts – from Vermont Department of Taxes (will always be a quarter behind).
• Unemployment Rate – from Vermont Department of Labor (will always be a month behind).
• Real Estate Sales – from MRV Real Estate compilation of sales in Warren, Waitsfield, Fayston.
• Building Permits Issued – from zoning administrators from Warren, Waitsfield, Fayston.
The Dashboard team is continuing to explore data collection options and examples from other regions and economic development organizations. Feedback is welcome on the information that appears here; contact
