Colorado voters in Eagle County approve doubling lodging tax to fund child care, public safety enhancements

Residents of Eagle County in Colorado's high country approved a ballot measure in Tuesday's election that will double the county's lodging tax to help support child care, public safety and advertising for local tourism.

With the implementation of Ballot Issue 1A, the lodging tax on short-term rentals and hotel stays in unincorporated Eagle County and in the town of Gypsum it will increase from 2% to 4%. The county's current lodging tax, approved by voters in 2022, provided full-time child care providers with stipends of $500 a month. 

The new measure will raise approximately $4.5 million a year, 90% of which will be used to help lower child care costs for families and provide enhancements for local law enforcement, fire protection services and emergency medical services. The remaining 10% will be used for advertising and marketing for local tourism.

It barely passed, with 4,069 for the measure and 4,014 against.

The new tax rate goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2026, and will be included in short-term rental fees for those staying less than 30 days. It excludes Avon, Basalt, Eagle, Minturn, Red Cliff and Vail, as those communities have adopted their own lodging taxes.