Trinidad Chamber Proposes Tri-County Regional Organization with Nine-Person Steering Committee

The Trinidad-Las Animas County Chamber of Commerce announced a proposal to form a new tri-county regional organization to coordinate economic development and tourism across Las Animas County, Huerfano County, Colorado and Colfax County, New Mexico. The chamber said a nine-person steering committee will guide formation of the regional body, a move aimed at pooling resources, broadening marketing reach and better coordinating cross-county tourism and workforce programs.

The chamber unveiled the plan on January 22, 2026. Backers say the regional structure is intended to help small businesses access grant funding, align event calendars, and present a unified voice for southeastern Colorado and neighboring northern New Mexico economic development efforts. The proposed steering committee is positioned as the initial governance mechanism to set priorities, explore funding options and recommend organizational structure.

For Las Animas County residents, the change targets practical constraints that have long limited rural economic initiatives: limited staff capacity at local chambers, fragmented marketing budgets and narrow grant eligibility when organizations act alone. By coordinating across county lines, the chamber expects to increase competitiveness for regional grants and to amortize costs for marketing campaigns that can reach visitors and employers beyond municipal boundaries. Those shifts matter to Main Street retailers, tourism operators and workforce program providers who compete for limited state and federal dollars.

Crossing a state line to include Colfax County introduces both opportunity and complexity. A regional approach can leverage tourism corridors and shared labor pools across southeastern Colorado and northern New Mexico, but it will also require the steering committee to navigate differing state grant rules, procurement regulations and workforce program frameworks. The committee’s early work will likely include aligning priorities that are fundable under both Colorado and New Mexico programs and identifying shared performance metrics that attract multi-jurisdictional funders.

Market implications extend beyond grant applications. Coordinated event calendars and joint marketing can lengthen visitor stays and reduce duplication in promotional spending, potentially increasing revenue for hotels, restaurants and attractions in Trinidad and surrounding towns. Unified branding and joint workforce initiatives can also help small employers fill seasonal and year-round positions by expanding the geographic recruiting footprint.

Policy considerations will be central to the steering committee’s recommendations. Members will need to weigh governance options that balance representation from Las Animas, Huerfano and Colfax counties, determine fiscal arrangements for pooled budgets, and establish accountability for grant-funded projects. Community stakeholders should expect public meetings and opportunities to provide input as the organization takes shape.

For residents, the immediate takeaway is practical: the chamber’s proposal could open new grant and marketing opportunities for local businesses and tourism operators, but success will depend on the steering committee’s ability to reconcile cross-state rules and secure sustainable funding. Watch for announcements from the chamber about committee appointments and public engagement sessions in the coming weeks as the initiative moves from proposal to formation.