I support an increase in the lodgers tax, but I will not support how revenues are being shared, according to the current ballot initiative.
Tourism is important to our economy, but by approving the lodgers tax ballot measure, the City Council has ignored some of the most critical issues facing Durango’s quality of life. And it appears that all City Council candidates are ready to do the same. Unaffordable housing and its impact of the quality of life on those making minimum wage and the increased cost of services to Durango’s residents to support them will be exacerbated.
The city will double its budget toward promoting tourism and Visit Durango will get 55% of the increase in the lodgers tax. Visit Durango stopped marketing Durango during the pandemic, but businesses still reported records sales, and we witnessed what over-tourism looks like.
So why does Visit Durango need all this additional revenue? According to its Lodgers Tax White Paper and past stated positions and actions, with the city’s help Visit Durango plans to operate a convention center, so more people will come to Durango creating more minimum wage jobs selling food, liquor, merchandise and hotel rooms.
It’s a vicious cycle that is not only unsustainable tourism, but bad economic development. If tourism is important to our economy, it needs to lift all boats.
The City Council has a fiduciary duty to not exacerbate problems faced by minimum wage workers and the quality of life of its citizens.
Steve RuddellDurango
