Join Chalkbeat Colorado’s free day by day publication to get the most recent reporting from us, plus curated information from different Colorado retailers, delivered to your inbox.
Voters in three western Colorado communities accredited lodging tax measures in Tuesday’s election that can ship cash to efforts geared toward making youngster care extra reasonably priced and simpler to search out.
The measures handed simply in La Plata and Grand counties and by a slimmer margin within the Metropolis of Montrose, in response to unofficial election outcomes.
With Tuesday’s lodging tax victories, the three communities be part of a couple of dozen others in Colorado’s mountain resort areas the place voters have agreed to permit some lodging tax proceeds for use for youngster care efforts. Usually, the funding is used to assist households pay for youngster care or to spice up wages for lecturers.
Lodging taxes have just lately change into an interesting solution to generate new funding for native workforce wants corresponding to housing and youngster care. That’s due to a 2022 state regulation that allowed Colorado counties and native advertising and marketing districts to make use of lodging taxes for these functions in the event that they get voter approval. Lodging taxes are sometimes palatable for voters since they’re typically paid by out-of-town guests, not locals.
In La Plata County, the place Durango is the county seat, the poll measure accredited Tuesday will reallocate 70% of lodging tax proceeds from tourism efforts to youngster care and housing. That shift might imply about $500,000 a 12 months for native youngster care efforts.
Heather Hawk, government director of the Early Childhood Council of La Plata County, stated she was enthusiastic about Tuesday’s lodging tax victory, particularly its practically 70% approval charge. She stated a bunch of native advocates will full a strategic plan for the funding by the tip of the 12 months, however the closing determination on how will probably be distributed will relaxation with La Plata County commissioners.
Hawk stated $500,000 a 12 months will not be an enormous sum of cash, however will probably be a dependable stream that may assist the county leverage grants and different funding sources that require native {dollars}. She stated the cash might assist with efforts corresponding to financing development of a brand new youngster care heart or boosting wages for hard-to-retain toddler and toddler lecturers.
Hawk stated the cash might also assist mother and father with infants and toddlers cowl the price of youngster care. Toddler care can value as much as $21,000 a 12 months within the county, she stated.
“We all know that we’ve got a severe affordability hole in our neighborhood, particularly for households which might be working within the tourism trade,” stated Hawk. “They typically are making an excessive amount of to qualify for youngster care subsidies or Head Begin, however not sufficient to actually afford the price of care.”
Grand County’s lodging tax measure handed with about 60% of the vote on Tuesday. It should increase the county’s current lodging tax from 1.8% to 2% and permit the county to make use of 30% of the proceeds — or about $675,000 a 12 months — for housing, youngster care, or providers that profit guests.
A county official beforehand instructed Chalkbeat how the cash is spent might range from 12 months to 12 months, with a housing initiative one 12 months, a toddler care initiative the following, and so forth.
Voters within the Metropolis of Montrose, the biggest metropolis in Montrose County, agreed to boost the lodge room tax from .9% to six% Tuesday, with 52% of voters in favor of the measure. Of the income from that tax, 17% — or about $158,000 a 12 months — will go towards youngster care initiatives. The remainder will fund road upkeep, reasonably priced housing, and tourism providers.
A metropolis official beforehand instructed Chalkbeat town would probably draft a plan for spending lodging tax cash devoted to youngster care by subsequent spring. One of many best wants within the space is for extra youngster care slots, he stated.
Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, protecting early childhood points and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.
