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Vail council candidate Barry Davis in his own words

Longtime resident says council needs to “pull together” after a decision’s made

Barry Davis

The Vail Daily is running Q&A’s with the 10 candidates running for four seats on the Vail Town Council. The questionnaires will run in the order that the candidates appear on the ballot. The town is participating in Eagle County’s coordinated election. Ballots will be mailed out Oct. 8.

Name: Barry Davis

Occupation: Catering



Neighborhood: Chamonix

Length of residence in Vail: 22 years

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Have you served on any other town boards or commissions (that includes the Vail Recreation District and county boards and commissions, if any)?: I served on the Vail Commission on Special Events for eight years.

Why do you want this job?

I feel fortunate to live in such an amazing place, and I feel obligated to be a good steward for the future of Vail.

What has the current council done well? What could it have done better?

The council deserves a big pat on the back for their navigation of the COVID-19 pandemic. While hindsight allows us to nitpick, I believe they handled the challenge far better than other mountain communities and tourist destinations. They have been creative, nimble and especially intelligent in their empowerment of town staff in their attempts to help local business. I think current council could do a better job of “pulling in the same direction” once a decision has been voted on.

What’s your position on the proposed half-cent sales tax increase for housing initiatives?

Our sales tax is very low for our competitive set, indicative of the fact that is hasn’t been raised in my lifetime. I feel that council made a good decision that will quickly result in funds that can be deployed to projects like Vail’s InDEED program.

If elected, what’s the main thing you’d like to see the council accomplish in the next two or four years?

In the short term, I believe the council is going need to be responsive and supportive to our small businesses. Managing public safety, the right mix and number of guests and events, and being open to innovative ideas to allow local business to thrive is going to be essential for our council to achieve.

In the big picture, employee housing solutions are going to continue to dominate the conversation. From the West Vail Master plan, marketing budgets, Civic Area Plan, short-term rentals and the new sales tax, all of these all tie back to our housing challenge. I hope to be a part of a team that accomplishes creating workforce housing in a way that makes sense for Vail and holds true to our mission and vision. We still have an opportunity to continue Vail’s legacy as a leader among mountain towns.


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