Letter: Support housing and transportation on the ballot

The Vail Local Housing Authority advocates for affordable housing initiatives and works to ensure there is Vail-based deed-restricted housing for at least 30 percent of Vail’s workforce. To that end, and with your mail-in ballots now sitting on your kitchen counter and ready to be filled out, we support and urge “yes” votes on the following three initiatives that will be instrumental in delivering on housing solutions:

First, last November, town of Vail voters approved a 0.5 percent sales tax increase for housing initiatives that would not exceed $4.5 million in its first year of collections. Sales tax collections are significantly higher than what was estimated in 2021 because of the unforeseen increases in economic activity during this past winter ski season as well as inflationary price increases. Current forecasts project the new half-cent sales tax collections to total $5.3 million in 2022. The VLHA feels this is a good problem to have to help us continue to be a leader in addressing the ongoing housing crisis. 2I is on the ballot because Colorado’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights prohibits first-year-only collections of any new tax to exceed the amount stated in the original ballot language.

Second, Colorado Proposition 123 is a statewide initiative aimed at making a serious dent in the housing crisis by creating an annual $300 million funding source with existing state income tax revenue — no new taxes would be levied. Local government, like the town of Vail, would be able to determine how they would want to spend what they’ve been allocated if Prop. 123 passes.

And, our support also goes to the formation of the Eagle Valley Regional Transportation Authority and a half-cent sales tax increase. While the town of Vail has a world-class transit system, it is critically important that we coordinate and connect better among our small businesses and where our workforce is living by way of enhanced transit throughout the Eagle River Valley. Improved transit will also help us achieve our sustainability goals by getting more of us and our guests out of our cars and onto more efficient bus service. The RTA formation question will be on the ballots for not only Vail voters but Eagle County, Minturn, Avon, Eagle, Gypsum, Red Cliff and Beaver Creek Metropolitan District.

Thank you for considering “yes” votes for housing and transit.

Support Local Journalism

Donate

Steve Lindstrom, Dan Godec, Kristin Kenney Williams, James Wilkins, Craig Denton
Vail Local Housing Authority