Hurricane candidates describe tighter rules for whole-home vacation rentals, support for residential hosting and ADUs

Hurricane City candidates at the Washington County Republican Women forum described the city's evolving approach to short‑term rentals and said recent council action has stepped back from allowing whole‑home vacation rentals in residential neighborhoods.

Kevin Thomas, a Hurricane council incumbent, said he helped draft early ordinances that created a residential‑hosting model and allowed whole‑home vacation rentals initially, but later the council scaled back whole‑home rentals after problems emerged. "I think we're overbuilt as far as vacation rentals go," he said, adding that "residential hosting has been a very positive thing in our community." Mayor Nan Billings and other candidates said the council had restricted new whole‑home licenses and stopped creating new recreational‑resort zones; some previously approved recreational‑resort units remain entitled but are not yet built.

Candidates also discussed accessory dwelling units (ADUs) as one available tool to increase housing options while keeping on‑site ownership and oversight. Several candidates said ADUs allow homeowners to benefit from hosting while remaining present on the property, which they said reduces neighborhood disturbances.

Why it matters: Short‑term rentals affect neighborhood character, police calls and housing availability. Candidates described zoning, licensing and enforcement as the levers the council has used to respond to complaints.

What was not decided: The forum recorded history and candidate preferences. No new ordinances or council votes were taken at the event.