So the Breckenridge City Council and community development director’s possible solution to workforce housing is limiting or eliminating homeowners’ ability to offer their homes or lock-offs to short-term renters. If implemented, supposedly such a move would increase workforce housing and increase the employee base. As a frequent visitor to Breckenridge since the early 1960s, I have found short-term rentals to be a desirable alternative accommodation for my visits. So instead of continuing to infringe on homeowners’ property rights, I would like to offer alternative solutions:

• Have Mayor Eric Mamula and council member Dick Carleton take the lead and charge their restaurant guests a $5 per person surcharge per visit to be directed to workforce housing. If this remedy shows promise, I am sure other civic-minded restaurant owners would take their lead and join the cause.
• Treat Breckenridge as a national park by placing gates at either entrance to the town and charging visitors $20 per adult and $10 per child for the privilege of visiting.

Hopefully these ideas will prompt other citizens to offer worthwhile alternative solutions to solve the shortage of workers in the community.

All we need is more government to solve our local problems.

By the way, I suggest you change the entrance signs to the town to read: “Welcome to the Socialist Kingdom of Breckenridge.”