Housing Crisis – Routt County Republicans

Routt GOP: Voters can restore balance in local, state, federal politics on Nov. 8

This election year is an opportunity for Routt County voters to vote for balance and make significant course corrections away from the direction Democrats have taken our county, Colorado and America. Our governments at every level need fresh ideas that will restore balance, reason and common sense. Today, seven out of 10 likely voters believe America is heading in the wrong direction.

Democrats know they’re in trouble and they’re doing everything they can to distract voters from their record. In Colorado, Democrat smear merchants are propagating outright lies about Republican candidates and highlighting the abortion issue to avoid discussing the real problems most voters want solved.

The truth is, our neighbors are most concerned about runaway inflation, burgeoning crime, the fentanyl crisis, and the quality of public education, according to recent polling. Democrats like Rep. Dylan Roberts have played a significant role in exacerbating these problems because the Colorado state house and senate lack balance.

Rep. Roberts supported HB22-1326, the Fentanyl Accountability and Prevention bill, that simply adjusted the amount of illegal doses of fentanyl and did nothing to curb trafficking and prevent overdoses. Representative Roberts also supported SB-217, the Police Integrity Transparency and Accountability Act, which mandated onerous reporting processes that took police resources off the street. He also supported HB22-1362, Building Greenhouse Gas Emissions, which will require building code changes to comply with “green energy” mandates. According to the Common Sense Institute, these mandates will add about $42,000 to building costs for each new home in Colorado, making housing less affordable.

Like Dylan Roberts, Meghan Lukens lacks balance by supporting the Denver-Boulder “progressive” agenda. She is already having to backtrack from her record as a Boulder County Democratic Party vice chair. In this position, Ms. Lukens was responsible for advocating and fundraising for Democrat interests including Proposition 114 and the reintroduction of wolves. Although she claims to not have voted for the measure, she didn’t speak out against it and instead enabled its passage through her advocacy. Boulder county overwhelmingly voted to reintroduce wolves to the Western Slope. In order to cover up other political inconveniences, Ms. Lukens recently removed two videos from YouTube where she promotes the virtues of Critical Race Theory in public schools. Clearly, she now believes Marxist-based theories like CRT are not a popular sell to the voters of Routt County and the Western Slope.

County commissioner candidate Sonja Macys wishes to continue the legacy of one-party Democrat leadership on Routt County’s Board of Commissioners. During her time as a Steamboat Springs City Council member, she never met a tax increase or fee she couldn’t support. Ms. Macys’ approach to every problem is more tax and spend initiatives. For example, she believes a $100 million extension of the core trail would help address regional transportation and by extension affordable housing. These are the same approaches that continue to inhibit responsible growth and economic prosperity in Routt County. Ms. Macys’ approach to solving these problems is more bureaucracy using other people’s money. Her approach also includes the implementation of the Climate Action Plan, a boiler-plate document which has never undergone a cost-benefit analysis. The impact of incomplete climate action plans on lives and on the economy is becoming well demonstrated in Europe as millions of people fight to afford their homes let alone heat them and keep the lights on.

Democrat leadership and policies at the federal, state and local level have exacerbated inflation by thoughtlessly pouring more and more money into an already overheated economy that has a limited supply of goods and services. Their soft-on-crime policies have made our communities more dangerous and less productive. Democrat public education policies have stolen from our children and degraded the quality of public education by putting union interests before those of parents and children.

Democrats own these problems. The Democrat Party is the majority party in both houses of Congress and in the executive office at the federal and state level. Now, it’s time to bring balance, reason and common sense back to our federal, state and local governments. Our Republican candidates will listen to Routt County residents and truly represent their interests and values. They will bring new ideas to the table and build bridges to unite our communities and deliver meaningful change to the direction of our country, state, and county. We can no longer afford one party rule in Routt County, Colorado and America. Let’s bring balance and meaningful change by voting for the Republican Party on Nov. 8.

This column was provided by the Routt County Republican Central Committee.

PUBLISHED SOURCE: Steamboat Pilot & Today

Letter: House race isn’t a competition on who has lived here the longest

In my short time of just over four years living in Routt County, I have come to truly love and value this rural area. I have had the opportunity to meet and speak candidly with Savannah Wolfson. It is important that our representation for District 26 also understands the challenges and mirrors with support. To completely understand the challenges and expenses of buying groceries, gas, housing, raising children and having livestock.

This candidate race is not a competition on who has lived here the longest, but rather who fully understands all the obstacles of a rural community. I want a candidate that experiences the same cringe my family and I experience when paying for gas, housing and utility bills, and groceries. It is not easy to live in a rural area as costs keep rising and policies go against ranching communities—i.e. wolf reintroduction. Honesty seems to be a dying attribute, but I am confident Savannah Wolfson is honest and genuinely interested in supporting our district.

Voting in elections is our civic duty. With the upcoming elections on November 8, 2022 quickly approaching, please vet the candidates that are running—don’t just vote for a candidate because of their affiliation. It is very important to have a candidate that reflects the values of their constituents and will properly represent and be the voice of District 26. Savannah Wolfson is just that candidate!

S. Brett Ferrier – Hayden, CO

PUBLISHED SOURCE: Steamboat Pilot & Today

Routt GOP: Making progress on housing crisis requires good policy

Housing has been a challenge here in the Yampa Valley since the late 1970s. Perhaps because we live in such a beautiful and desirable county, it may always be an issue.

But just because the goal seems insurmountable, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t strive to help our community. Think of the old-fashioned barn raising where neighbors gathered to help each other build something.

There are several housing programs that align with Republican values, specifically those involving either self-help or private sector development and partnerships.

Eighteen families funded by the USDA, along with the former nonprofit Regional Affordable Living Foundation, built homes in Steamboat Springs, Hayden and Oak Creek. This group build concept is alive and well throughout the U.S.

Another “self-help” model is the internationally known Habitat for Humanity, which built 10 homes and duplexes here in Steamboat Springs from 2000 through 2010. Community volunteers pounded nails and hung drywall alongside future homeowners.

Another successful program that Routt County has utilized is the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, or LIHTC. This highly competitive program, created under the Reagan administration has recently funded the 48 unit Reserves apartments, the 72 unit Alpenglow and the 90 unit Anglers 400. By offering tax credits to the private sector via a public market, The Yampa Valley Housing Authority has partnered with a private developer to build and manage these income restricted units.

Four years ago, voters in Steamboat Springs were given the opportunity to tax themselves 1 mil for a 10-year time frame to support the Housing Authority plan, in accordance with TABOR rules. The voters overwhelmingly voted in support of this tax.

The Brown Ranch is being developed with the vision of the West Steamboat Area Plan and the new Routt County Master Plan. Housing and transportation go hand in hand as both issues need solutions.

Food and shelter are basic human needs. To ensure the people who represent the essential core of Routt County, our teachers, firefighters, other first responders, nurses and service industry employees should have the option to live in the communities where they work.

There is one candidate who has been working on these problems the better part of her professional and volunteer career scanning almost 50 years. Elect Kathi Meyer, candidate for Routt County commissioner, and she will make sure that Routt County, working collaboratively with its municipalities, continues to make progress on its housing challenges.

Routt County Republican Central Committee

PUBLISHED SOURCE: Steamboat Pilot & Today

How does Sonja Macys’ ideas of applying Climate Action Plan driven policies to the Routt County Master Plan deliver affordable housing and regional transportation?

Everyone knows the Climate Action Plan (although approved by the Steamboat City Council which Kathi and Sonja were both members) has no
fiscal cost associated with it. In other words, it prescribes a lot of boiler-plate climate fluff that makes people feel good about the possibilities of affecting the direction of the climate without consideration for the impact on the economy and our way of life.

What Routt County needs is a balanced approach in policies that will deliver solutions that realistically and responsibly balance our environmental and economic needs. We don’t need unrealistic promises that will never be delivered and will cost our low and middle income families the ability to afford living in Routt County. As a city council member, Sonja Macys has a long history of making promises she could
never keep, and she never met a tax increase she couldn’t support. Sonja Macys’ will continue the same approach while expecting different results.

That’s insanity.

As a Republican, Kathi Meyer will represent the other half of Routt County besides those of the Steamboat Springs liberal elite. She will bring “all-the-above” solutions and balance to restore economic opportunity and prosperity to Routt County’s small businesses and citizens.

Letter: Home rule for Routt County

November 22, 2021 – It is time to bring full and fair local government control and representation to the residents of rural Routt County.

Pitkin and Weld counties are the only two Colorado counties that have adopted Home Rule charters that give their residents more control over local matters. Routt County needs to be the third county to adopt a Home Rule charter, and here’s why.

First, Home Rule charters can be written to provide better representation by allowing only those residents within a county district to vote for their district county commissioner. Routt County has three county districts, each one represented by a county commissioner who is ostensibly elected to represent their district constituents. However, without a Home Rule charter allowing only district residents to vote for their commissioner candidate, every county resident can vote for each county commissioner candidate. The current arrangement effectively deprives north, west and south county residents of fair representation. All three county commissioners are essentially elected by Steamboat Springs.

A notable result of this arrangement was observed at the Independent Redistricting Commission’s hearing held July 23. Steamboat Springs Democrats came out in force to testify that Routt County must be separated from other rural counties that depend on agriculture and fossil fuels. Their belief is that Routt County is mostly a resort community, like Eagle and Summit counties or Larimer and Boulder counties with more cultural commonality on the Front Range. In fact, Commissioner Tim Corrigan testified to remove Routt from any district with a fossil fuel industry.

Second, a Home Rule charter can allow county citizens to set the salaries of elected officials. Currently, salaries are set in statute by the General Assembly. Today, county commissioners are paid over $90,000 per year, plus benefits, to perform their duties. Under Home Rule, county residents, not the state, would be able to decide if their performance is worthy of this compensation.

Third, a Home Rule charter can allow for right of initiative by voters. Without Home Rule, ballot initiatives at the county level are limited.

Voters can put forth an initiative to elect Home Rule charter commission members. If passed, the charter commission would have 240 days to provide a draft for the county commissioners. The county commissioners would then place the charter before the voters in a special election.

It’s time for all Routt County residents to have more government control and fair county representation.

Pete Wood – Steamboat Springs

PUBLISHED SOURCE: Steamboat Pilot & Today

This column was provided by the Routt County Republican Central Committee.

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