Eagle County voters narrowly pass 2% lodging tax increase by 55 votes
50.8% of voters are against the lodging tax increase, 49.2% of voters in favor as of 9 p.m. Tuesday
Chris Dillmann/Vail Daily
Voters in unincorporated Eagle County and Gypsum narrowly passed a 2% increase to Eagle County’s lodging tax, according to unofficial results. The final release of votes early Wednesday morning showed Ballot Issue 1A passing by 55 votes, 4,069 to 4,014.
The lodging tax increase will go into effect Jan. 1, raising the county’s tax rate from 2% to 4%.
The lodging tax increase would apply to short-term stays of less than 30 days at accommodations in Gypsum and unincorporated Eagle County, including Beaver Creek, Bachelor Gulch, Edwards, EagleVail, El Jebel and Arrowhead. All other municipalities in the county have their own lodging taxes.
The county already had a lodging tax of 2%, which voters approved in 2022. The funds were designated for housing and child care, and have been spent on supporting early child care providers.
The funds raised by the 2% increase proposed to voters Tuesday, estimated to total around $4.5 million, were designated in the ballot measure to go toward child care, tourism marketing and public safety enhancements for local law enforcement, fire protection services and emergency medical services.
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The Eagle County Board of Commissioners approved sending the lodging tax increase question to voters in September after beginning the public conversation in July.
This came after Gov. Jared Polis signed House Bill 1247 into law in May, giving counties the ability to increase their lodging taxes to up to 6%, with the funding going to affordable housing, child care, public infrastructure and safety. Previously, counties in Colorado could not levy a lodging tax above 2%, though towns and cities could.
