Town of Vail 2025 Housing Ballot Measure Survey

Magellan Strategies is pleased to present the topline results of a survey of 506 registered voters in the Town of Vail. The interviews were conducted from May 27th – June 6th, 2025.

The Town of Vail conducted a survey on a potential ballot measure regarding workforce housing. The survey revealed that 88% of registered voters viewed the lack of available homes for residents as either a big problem or somewhat of a problem, with 69% considering it a big problem. Additionally, 82% of respondents believed the Town should play an active role in providing affordable housing solutions for year-round residents.

Voters were divided on the Town’s current performance, with 46% approving and 43% disapproving of how Vail was addressing long-term rental and homeownership housing needs. When asked about fiscal responsibility, 53% agreed the Town spent taxpayer money wisely, while 38% disagreed. However, when asked about a general tax increase for workforce housing without specifics, only 43% supported it while 51% opposed.

The survey then tested an uninformed ballot measure proposing a 6% tax on short-term rental accommodations to raise approximately $7.2 million annually, along with $110 million in debt authorization with repayment costs not to exceed $230 million. The initial support stood at 64% approval versus 32% rejection.

Respondents were then presented with a series of arguments supporting the measure. These included information about the housing crisis’s impact on the community, the Town Council’s goal of having short-term rentals contribute to workforce housing, past successful housing projects, details about the West Middle Creek development and Timber Ridge redevelopment, and comparison tax rates with peer communities. After each piece of information, support remained consistently strong, ranging from 65% to 73% saying they were more likely to approve the tax.

After exposure to all the supporting information, the informed ballot test showed increased support, with 69% voting yes and 27% voting no. This represented a five-point increase in support and a five-point decrease in opposition compared to the uninformed test.

Supporters cited the strong need for affordable housing for essential workers, the role of short-term rentals in contributing to the housing crisis, the importance of preserving community character, and the fairness of the revenue source as key reasons for their support. They emphasized that teachers, healthcare workers, and hospitality staff could not afford to live in Vail and that the tax was a modest, justifiable way to address the problem.

Opponents argued that the tax unfairly burdened short-term rental owners while other entities like hotels and Vail Resorts were not contributing enough. They expressed skepticism about government involvement in housing, cited concerns about past wasteful decisions, and questioned whether the proposed solution would effectively address the housing crisis. Some believed the approach was misguided and that market-based or employer-led solutions would be more appropriate.