Common Sense Solutions for the Issues That Matter

Affordable Housing

Keep Eagle County livable for the people who power our communities.

• Affordable housing is a complex, multi-tiered issue - low income wage earners and middle income wage earners. Housing must be attainable for local workers, families, and seniors. The current AMI (area median income) for Eagle County is $97,100 per year for a single person and $138,700 per year for a household of 4 people. There needs to be a balance between the incentives offered to developers for increased density of their projects with the affordable housing rate caps. A single person’s rent would be capped at $2,427 for 100% AMI, $1,942 for 80% AMI, and $1,214 for 50% AMI. We need to ensure these affordable housing approvals offer enough units at the lower percentage of the AMI rate to address the affordable housing need and justify increased density on a project. The affordable housing caps in the new Eagle County Land Use Code need to be scrutinized to make sure they offer enough incentives to developers while helping potential owners and renters of these units acquire housing. This helps the lower income wage earners that earn up to 100% AMI.  An equally important issue is the middle wage earners that earn  100-200% AMI  yet still cannot afford to buy a house. Solutions, such as scaling back building regulations to lower permit fees and providing a sales tax rebate on construction material, would enable contractors to lower construction costs while still being able to make a living.
• Work with towns, employers, and community partners on solutions that fit each neighborhood. This would include streamlining the approval process for affordable housing projects.
• Practice responsible growth while preserving the character of our mountain communities.

Protecting Public and Private Lands & Environment

Safeguard the open spaces, trails, and natural resources that define our way of life.

• Defend public access to the land and recreation opportunities our community relies on.
• Support thoughtful stewardship of water, wildlife, and open space. This includes continued advocacy of Shoshone water rights by the Colorado River District. Expanding protected open space is critical to ensure wildlife have a safe place to call home. We need to balance conservation with responsible use for the future.
• Advocate for our agricultural producers and encourage businesses to create local, self-sustaining access to agricultural products.
• Deepen the bond between agriculture, land stewardship, and our community through outreach and education. Long before there were ski resorts in the valley, homesteaders worked the land and raised their families here. Many of those families remain here today. This western heritage is fundamental to our identity and must be respected and preserved.

Economy

Help local businesses and working people thrive in every season.

• Champion a business-friendly county government that listens and responds. For example, the current building codes are cumbersome and overregulated. The State of Colorado has mandated unrealistic oversight and restrictions. The Town of Gypsum has adopted building codes that override state mandates while still addressing the life-safety issues at the heart of proper construction: ensuring buildings do not fall down or catch on fire. Gypsum has also gone completely digital with permit intake and implemented AI review of plans, significantly decreasing turnaround time and improving accuracy. The County's current regulations require the power source for all heating appliances to be installed with both gas and electrical connections, creating unnecessary construction costs. Eagle County should investigate a more common-sense approach to building regulations and adopt AI review of plans to shorten the time from intake to building permit issuance.
• Support workforce development and practical pathways to good local jobs. Encouraging trade schools or developing a mentorship program with local businesses would help our kids develop skills, gain a sense of accomplishment, and potentially find their purpose in life.
• Encourage a solution to senior housing. Our demographic is getting older, yet there are limited options for those who want to downsize while still living in the valley. Collaborating with developers and respected providers of independent and assisted living facilities is essential to address this issue. It will also create good, year-round jobs.
• Improve communication and collaboration with large employers in the valley, including Vail Resorts and Vail Health.

Community Safety

Transportation & Infrastructure

Build the transportation and utility coordination Eagle County needs for safe, efficient growth.

• Conduct a comprehensive study of roadways within the County, in collaboration with towns, to ensure safe and efficient traffic flow.
• Improve communication between the County and infrastructure providers, especially regarding water and electricity. County mandates and approvals need to be grounded in what Holy Cross and ERWSD can realistically provide.

Healthcare

Support healthcare that serves the entire Eagle County community.

• Collaborate with Vail Health to serve the entire community, especially the lower-income sector.
• Increase support for mental-health awareness and programs offered within the County. More content on this subject is forthcoming.

Accountable Government

The Board of County Commissioners must operate with transparency and accountability.

• Create an Information Highway outreach to the community through blast emails, so residents are informed about current issues being considered by the Board. Today, the County largely relies on newspaper coverage or people logging into the County website to find information.
• Increase transparency around the Eagle County Land Use Regulation rewrite. Although it is posted on the County website, many residents do not know the rewrite is happening because most people do not check County updates regularly.
• Develop a long-term property-tax plan that helps keep owners from being priced out of the valley. When the temporary state $55,000 assessment credit expired, higher property valuations created hardship for many owners. In the short term, the Board could have reduced the County-related mill levy but did not.  The Commissioners need to carefully weigh the benefits vs the disadvantages to the lodging tax which was recently doubled to 4%. If hotels cannot be competitive, especially in attracting groups during the off season, the trickle down effect to local workers would be devastating. The Commissioners should not even consider a Vacancy Tax which, in my opinion, is the most un-American thing ever. Government has no business dictating (and penalizing) how someone uses their property.
• Conduct comprehensive scrutiny of the County budget, especially capital improvements. County reserve funds appear excessive while debt service remains relatively high.