YES ON VAIL HOUSING
VVP’s board of governors is proud to endorse the Town of Vail’s proposed 0.5% sales tax question on the November ballot.
Ballot Issue 2A would authorize a half-cent increase to the town’s existing sales tax rate — excluding food for home consumption — to fund housing initiatives, housing developments and housing programs. Housing is our biggest challenge, and the Town of Vail has a track record of building meaningful housing programs (Vail InDeed) and investing in workforce housing (Lions Ridge, Residences at Main Vail). We support this effort as it will make a meaningful impact on workforce housing efforts in the Town and as an added bonus would free up money in the general fund to pay for other municipal priorities. Community surveys continue to show housing as the top issue in both Vail and Eagle County and this provide meaningful and dedicated funding to address community housing efforts.
YES ON AVON HOUSING
VVP’s board of governors is proud to endorse the Town of Avon’s proposed 2% short term lodging tax question on the November ballot.
This tax will help fund community housing including “the acquisition of land for housing, construction of housing, extension of public infrastructure to serve community housing development, purchase of deed restrictions, down payment assistance programs, partnerships with public and private entities to develop community housing, and related costs for administration, design, legal and consulting.” Similar to the Town of Vail, Avon has shown a commitment to funding housing through the MiCasa deed restriction program, and this will make a meaningful impact to help address the workforce housing issue in Avon.
YES ON MOUNTAIN RECREATION
VVP’s board of governors is proud to endorse the Mountain Recreation mill levy question to support capital improvements in Gypsum, Eagle, Edwards facilities.
The ballot question will ask voters to approve an increase in the district’s property tax mill rate of 4.505 mills to raise about $3.8 million in 2022 and afterward to fund:
- Renovation and expansion of recreation facilities in Edwards, Eagle, and Gypsum to provide new recreation spaces, equipment, and programs and community health and wellbeing services for children, teens, adults, families, and seniors;
- Year-round access through updated and new community spaces, behavioral health programs, local nonprofit services, and social activities; and
- Improvements to trailhead, swimming, and recreational facilities to provide more access for active outdoor recreation, summer camps, and youth and adult recreation programs.
Mountain Recreation has proven to be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars by repaying previous debt 10 years early, and more importantly, these facilities fill an essential community role by providing recreational programming and facilities for residents. The District has reduced the tax-funding needed by increasing private fundraising based on public feedback sessions, showing a good faith effort to listen to feedback. These facility improvements offer the ability to help provide physical space for much needed community assets such as behavioral health counseling space and early childhood, and indoor recreation facilities improve the quality of life in the community.