Eagle County Ballot Issue 1A

Voters in unincorporated Eagle County and the Town of Gypsum are being asked to increase the county lodging tax by an additional 2%, increasing it from the existing 2% lodging tax to 4% on the price paid or charged for lodging for a short-term period of less than 30 days within unincorporated areas of the county and Gypsum.

If approved, 10% of the increased lodging tax revenues would be used for advertising and marketing local tourism (as required by state law); and the remaining 90% would be used for childcare for our local workforce; and public safety enhancements for local law enforcement, fire protection services, and emergency medical services.

The 2% increase would only apply to lodging within unincorporated Eagle County as well as the Town of Gypsum. Other towns — Vail, Avon, Edwards, Eagle, and Basalt, for example — would not be subject to the tax proposed by the ballot question since they have their own voter-approved lodging taxes within their jurisdictions.

The county lodging tax is applied specifically to the price paid or charged for lodging and rentals for a short-term period of less than 30 consecutive days, including, but not limited to:
- Hotels and motels;
- Bed-and-breakfast inns;
- Condos and apartments used as short-term rentals;
- Short-term rentals such as Airbnb and VRBO.
- Guest houses and timeshares;
- Private campgrounds and RV/trailer parks, not located on state or federal lands.

The lodging tax is paid by individuals renting the types of accommodations list above. However, it is ultimately the responsibility of the property owner to ensure that the tax is being collected from the renter and remitted to the State quarterly, as required by law. County residents would not pay this lodging tax unless they book short-term lodging themselves within unincorporated Eagle County and Gypsum.