Routt County commissioners debated whether to file the required notice to put a lodging (lodgers) tax on this year’s ballot, with some members urging the board to move quickly to preserve a 2026 opportunity and others saying more public outreach is needed before finalizing ballot language.

The discussion centered on timing and public process. County staff said the ballot question would need to be finalized in the next month and described a schedule that makes the September 5 and September 19 clerks’ deadlines important for ballot language and pro/con statements. The county also noted that because the lodging tax question would be a TABOR ballot measure, additional deadlines for designated-election-official notices apply.

Commissioner Sonia (first name used in meeting) said she had raised the lodging-tax idea and urged more agendized public conversation; she said putting a question on the ballot with only a few days left in the statutory timeline “feels quite rushed.” A different commissioner said the county risks losing the opportunity if it doesn’t act this year and that the 2026 ballot could be crowded. Several commissioners suggested filing a notice to participate with the elections office as an interim step while continuing public meetings, with the option to withdraw if the board decides it’s not ready.

Staff described practical questions that remain, including whether membership-model properties or specific categories of lodging would be eligible depending on the final ballot language. Commissioners asked staff to research how other counties handled eligibility and to consult county partners that have recently placed similar measures on ballots. The board agreed to place a short timeline discussion on the next day’s agenda to consider a thumbnail schedule and next steps.

No formal motion or vote to place a lodging-tax question on the ballot occurred at the work session; commissioners instead directed staff to continue research, reach out to peer counties for examples, and to discuss timeline options at the next day’s meeting. County staff confirmed they already provided “notice to participate” to the clerk for a separate transit (RTA) election earlier that morning.

Why it matters: A county lodging tax would create a new, dedicated local revenue stream for projects the county would specify in ballot language; because it is a TABOR question, state election deadlines constrain how quickly the board can adopt final language and collect pro/con statements.