The City of Salida Clerk’s office announced on October 5 that it has received the following nomination petitions for the November 7, 2023 coordinated election, and has declared the signatures valid and the candidate’s ability to run for office sufficient. This will be the Order of Ballot and Ballot Content:

Dan Smith Photo
CITY OF SALIDA MAYOR – TWO-YEAR TERM
Dan Shore
SALIDA CITY COUNCIL – WARD 1 – FOUR-YEAR TERM
Suzanne Fontana
SALIDA CITY COUNCIL – WARD 2 – FOUR-YEAR TERM
Adriane Kuhn
Aaron J Stephens
SALIDA CITY COUNCIL – WARD 3 – FOUR-YEAR TERM
Jackie Berndt
Alisa Pappenfort
SALIDA CITY TREASURER – FOUR-YEAR TERM
Wayles Martin
Ben Gilling
BALLOT ISSUE CITY OF SALIDA QUESTION 300
The registered voters of the city of Salida will be asked to vote on the question of adjusting the “Annual fee and nightly occupational lodging tax for short-term rentals.”
Commencing on January 1, 2024, shall the city of Salida’s taxes be increased by an estimated $297,000 annually (first full fiscal year increase) and by whatever additional amounts are raised annually thereafter through the adoption of an annual license fee of $540.00 to be paid by non-Chaffee county residents, who own short-term rental properties in the city, and by setting the occupational lodging tax for all short-term rental license holders to $5.00 per occupied bedroom, per night, in a short-term rental, with the proceeds of such tax, together with investment earnings thereon, to be used to promote affordable housing in the city
Yes: _______ No: _______
Because Salida is a statutory city and not a home-rule city, it cannot establish licensing fees or occupational lodging tax as a percent of the total lodging fees. As one of the few remaining statutory cities in the state, it must follow state statute and set flat fees. Many city residents have noted that they view this as unfair to those providing small or in-home short-term rentals who are just attempting to supplement their income.
Vote no on 300. If the STR owners want to supplement their incomes than they should get a second or third job like the rest of us.