The Ouray County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously Aug. 26 to authorize a lodging tax ballot measure and to direct limited, non‑substantive formatting changes before the county clerk prints the question for voters.

The board adopted Resolution 2025‑029, approving submission of a lodging tax measure and instructing the county attorney to make clerical and formatting adjustments. Commissioners also directed staff to add the words "affordable housing and childcare facilities" to the ballot question and to several whereas clauses so the measure’s purpose reads more specifically.

The change followed multiple public and commissioner comments about how the ballot language would be read by voters, and whether people would understand how revenues could be spent. Commissioner discussion repeatedly cited the board's intent to prioritize capital and operating support for facilities — not direct payments to families — when they recommended adding the word "facilities." The board asked the county attorney to preserve statutory consistency while narrowing the spending description to reduce voter confusion.

County attorney and clerk staff told the board that some administrative formatting items — such as how the question will appear on the ballot and whether a short yes/no box is printed — are set by the clerk and the statewide ballot template; the board authorized counsel to make non‑substantive edits needed to meet those requirements. Commissioners also requested that the attorney confirm punctuation and final wording for the clerk before signatures.

By voting to place the measure on the ballot, the board set a public process that will now proceed to the county clerk for printing, with the county’s finalized language to appear on the ballot at an upcoming coordinated election. The board said they will continue outreach and FAQ updates on the county website as part of voter information efforts.

Details and context: the board discussed restricting the measure to "facilities" on advice that more narrow language could limit future uses to capital and ongoing facility costs; they also asked staff to make the ballot question congruent with the enabling state statute and with example language used by other counties. Commissioners stressed that the lodging tax would be aimed at projects that help workforce housing and childcare access through county or partner‑run facilities.