Six Western Slope counties are testing a new state law this November. It allows for higher lodging taxes, up to 6%, to pay for roads, police, sustainable policies and more.
Eagle County wants to double its lodging tax to 4%. Park County wants to triple its tax to 6%, the maximum allowed by the new law. Ouray County wants to introduce its first lodging tax at the 6% threshold.
Colorado Sen. Dylan Roberts, of Frisco, tells the Colorado Sun this law gives towns and counties the cash they need for the programs they want.
“Our bipartisan work at the legislature to give more flexibility to lodging tax revenue allows every county to focus on their individual needs from housing and childcare for their workforce to supporting law enforcement and wildfire mitigation — all of which are necessary for thriving communities where working families can live and tourists can enjoy,” Roberts says.
Roberts’ hometown will not be joining the rest. A survey from this summer showed Frisco locals have no appetite for new, higher taxes. Town officials wanted new tax revenue to pay for a wish list of 33 projects totaling an estimated $87 million, including broadband, recpaths and bridges.
Summit County commissioner Nina Waters tells Krystal 93 she was interested in a 1% lodging-tax hike. Fellow commissioners Tamara Pogue and Eric Mamula were not.
“We are facing a deficit of $7 million next year,” she says. “We are facing some really large deficits if we do not act now. We are trying to avoid that.”
Instead of asking for new taxes, Summit will ask voters to approve new uses for old taxes, primarily roads. As of now lodging revenue in Summit can only be used for tourism outreach, childcare and housing.