News

• 300 Fails
• Ski Lift Ticket Tax Goes Through
• Telluride Elects New, Partial Town Council

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300 Fails

San Miguel County saw strong voter participation this election season, with 2,950 ballots cast for a turnout of nearly 46%.

A major point of debate was Citizens Initiative 300, which failed with nearly 63% voting against, according to unofficial results. If passed, the measure would have required voter approval for major development projects in and around Telluride.

Though the measure did not pass, Telluride Town Councilmember Elena Levin said the conversation it sparked remains important.

“300 came from a valid place, and I think we’re all aware of the need to have better communication and to be more proactively communicating with everyone in our community,” Levin said. “I think regardless of whether or not it passed, we knew that we needed to take a look at how we’re operating and what we might be missing.”

Paul Riech, president of the Telluride Hospital District Board, agreed that communication is key but said he did not think Initiative 300 was the right solution.

“I totally understand, for the most part, the motivation of the pro 300 group,” Riech said. “I understand the issues around affordability, growth, who gets to live in our beautiful mountain town, how do we manage that growth, and how do we respond to that growth. As an elected official, I’m always concerned when individuals are clearly not engaged with or have trust in their elected officials. I just didn’t think 300 was the right avenue to address those issues.”

Levin said the town must find new ways to engage residents.

“I don’t have the answer but I know we’re all thinking about what happens next because just because it didn’t pass doesn’t mean the conversation’s over,” she said.

She added that she hopes voters stay engaged.

“I really hope that people don’t feel disenfranchised because it didn’t pass, because that’s not at all what we want to happen.”

KOTO News reached out to proponents of Citizens Initiative 300, but they were unavailable by broadcast deadline.

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Ski Lift Ticket Tax Goes Through

Voters in the region were divided on whether to impose a 5% ski lift ticket tax to fund the gondola. The measure passed in Mountain Village with 77% of the vote, while the companion measure in Telluride, 2A, was too close to call as of Wednesday and trailing by just 20 votes.

Despite the possible failure in Telluride, the tax will move forward as a Mountain Village tax. It is expected to generate $2.5 million in 2026, with proceeds going toward gondola operations, maintenance, and capital improvements.

The Towns placed the measures on the ballot after a funding agreement with Telluride Ski Resort (Telski) fell through last year.

Mountain Village Mayor Marti Prohaska said she was relieved voters backed the proposal but disappointed it came to that point.

“I wish we could have come to an agreement as previously negotiated, and that Telski would have come to the table voluntarily as they said they would,” Prohaska said. “Understanding that’s not our current reality, I’m glad our Mountain Village voters understood the importance of maintaining the very important infrastructure of the gondola, and I’m glad they saw the future of the gondola is really important to the whole region.”

KOTO News reached out to Telski for comment but did not receive a response before broadcast deadline.

Prohaska said regional collaboration remains a challenge.

“It’s disappointing to me that we’re in a place where there’s such a divide between Telluride and Mountain Village,” she said. “I, as mayor, have tried really hard to bridge that gap, but clearly, we still have some work to do in engaging our neighbors in Telluride to see that we’re all, I think, working towards one goal and that is to have a successful destination and a place we all can continue to call home long into the future.”

Telluride Town Councilmember Meehan Fee said she supports the funding measure.

“I am glad the tax did pass in Mountain Village because I think, as users of the gondola, we all share responsibility for maintaining that structure and maintaining that service between the two destinations,” Fee said. “So, I’m happy that it did pass, but I look forward to conversations with the community to understand a bit more about why it wasn’t as popular here in Telluride.”

Mountain Village will begin collecting the tax on ski lift tickets Nov. 15.

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Telluride Elects New, Partial Town Council

Telluride voters officially elected three members to Town Council on Tuesday: Meehan Fee, Kristen Permakoff, and Dan Enright. Fee and Enright were re-elected; Permakoff returns to the council after serving about a decade ago.

Four seats were up for election, but two candidates dropped out, leaving one vacancy that council must now fill.

Town Clerk Tiffany Kavanaugh said the decision will be up to the council.

“Town Council will need to decide if they want to hold a special election, or appoint a member to Town Council,” Kavanaugh said.

If the council chooses an appointment, it must happen within 30 days, she said.

“They would need to interview applicants in public and then decide to appoint somebody.”

If council calls a special election instead, it would cost about $15,000 and take roughly three months.

Enright said he’s honored to continue serving.

“It feels great to be able to continue to serve the town that I love so much and represent the people who are closest to my heart, so I’m very happy to do it,” he said.

Permakoff said she’s eager to get started.

“I’m so excited. I feel like I want to get started right now. I’m ready. It’s so good to be back.”

Fee said she’s focused on collaboration and transparency.

“We’re all very focused on giving Telluride the Council they deserve,” Fee said. “One that’s listening first and leading with integrity, so I’m excited for the next four years.”

Enright said he plans to continue focusing on housing and affordability.

“I want to help be a voice for regular working people and make sure that people, like myself, who don’t own property, don’t have trust funds, or aren’t already wealthy still have a place and a home in Telluride,” he said.

Fee added she’s ready to reexamine “business as usual.”

“Perhaps the way we’ve done business in the past, while it has worked in the past, is not working in the present,” she said. “I’m really excited to focus, for the next few years, to bring community back together, creating more robust, more active conversations with people with differing viewpoints.”

Permakoff said she hopes to “keep the positive vibes flowing.”

“All I’ve ever wanted for Telluride is to be a place where we’re all feeling connected,” she said. “Sure, we don’t all have the same opinions on things, but it’s listening to everyone, compromising, and making sure everyone feels heard.”

The new council will be sworn in Nov. 25.

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Voters Say No To More Debt, Yes to Attendance Changes

Town of Telluride Question 2B, which would have authorized the town to increase debt by up to $64 million for affordable housing projects without raising taxes, failed with 55% of voters saying no.

Question 2C, which clarifies the town’s Home Rule Charter regarding attendance and vacancies, passed with 91% approval. Under the change, the mayor or council members may be removed if they miss three consecutive meetings or fail to attend 75% of meetings over 12 months.

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San Miguel County Measures Pass

Both San Miguel County ballot measures passed, increasing funding for behavioral health, childcare, and road and bridge services.

Measures 1A and 1B remove the 5.25% state revenue cap and adjust how the county distributes mill levy revenue. Measure 1A passed with 72% approval and 1B with 68%. The changes will take effect in the new tax year and are expected to generate about $300,000 annually per fund, depending on property values.

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New Members Elected to Telluride School Board

In the Telluride School District Board of Education race, Jesse McTigue and Kaylie Reed were the top vote-getters.

“I’m totally humbled and honored,” McTigue said.

She said the district faces financial challenges but remains optimistic.

“I think we have awesome schools,” McTigue said. “I think we have awesome people involved in the schools. We have an amazing community, amazing kids, and amazing folks who don’t have kids in the school system but contribute to the community and offer opportunities. I just want to thank Telluride for entrusting me and I’ll work hard to represent the community and do what needs to be done on the board to help ensure the continuation of the quality of our schools.”

KOTO News reached out to Reed but did not receive a response before broadcast deadline.

McTigue and Reed will be sworn in later this fall, joining Cheryl Miller, Ryan Robinson, and David Lavender on the Telluride School Board.

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Colorado Voters Approve Ballot Measures Boosting Universal School Meals

Colorado voters resoundingly approved a pair of statewide ballot measures on Tuesday. The measures, Propositions LL and MM, will increase funding for Healthy School Meals for All, Colorado’s universal school meals program.

Proposition MM will raise money by increasing taxes on Coloradans who make $300,000 a year or more. The money first has to pay for the school meals program, and leftover dollars will help cover the state’s share of SNAP, or food stamps. Proposition MM is expected to raise more than $27 million for SNAP in the next fiscal year and about double that for school meals.

The other measure, Proposition LL, allows the state to keep and spend all the revenue it has already collected — and will collect — for the meals program.

Jacqueline Beltran voted yes for both LL and MM ballot measures.
“If you are serving food for all children, then there’s no stigma when you’re the child that needs it. And I was one of those children that needed the free and reduced lunch and I hated it. And so I like the idea of it just being available to all children equally,” Beltran said.

Both measures won by double digits, according to preliminary election results.

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Rep. Jeff Hurd Joins Bipartisan Effort to Extend ACA Tax Credit

Republican Congressman Jeff Hurd is part of a bipartisan group trying to find a fix for an expiring Affordable Care Act tax credit that’s at the heart of the stalemate over government funding.

Hurd and three other moderate lawmakers released principles to temporarily extend and reform the pandemic-era enhanced tax credits that have made it cheaper for people buying health insurance on the state exchange.

Hurd, along with Republican Don Bacon and Democrats Tom Suozzi and Josh Gottheimer, said they’ve identified a fair and reasonable path forward. It includes a two-year extension of the credit, an income cap that starts to phase out at $200,000, and new guardrails to prevent improper payments.

Still, the proposal will face an uphill climb in the House, where several Republicans remain opposed to any extension of the credit.

Story begins at 14:57

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Public Comment Open on Proposal to Rescind Federal Lands Conservation Rule

The Trump administration is moving to roll back a rule designed to give the public a stronger voice in how federal lands are managed.

The so-called public lands rule prioritizes conservation alongside other uses like drilling, mining and grazing.

The public has until Nov. 10 to comment on the proposal to rescind the rule.

For Rocky Mountain Community Radio, KVNF’s Brody Wilson spoke with Melissa Newell of the Western Slope Conservation Center and Ben Katz with the Conservation Lands Foundation.

Story begins at 15:54