Loss No. 1: The town of Breckenridge wasn’t prepared from the start. I have lived in this county for 16 years, and workforce housing has always been a problem. The town has had plenty of time to address the workforce housing issue over the past 20 years.

Loss No. 2: COVID-19 hit our amazing ski season right in the middle of the busiest month of the best year ever. Many service people in the county lost their jobs, had to leave the county and haven’t returned yet. I am sure many will return to our county. However, in the meantime, second-home owners have decided to use their homes in the mountains as they now are able to work from anywhere. And the homeowners that lost their jobs could no longer make their mortgage and sold. Breckenridge decides the short-term rentals are responsible for the everlasting housing shortage. Their position is to cap the short-term rental permits in Breck and allow working locals to fill the homes in a resort town!

Loss No. 3: Breck needed a scapegoat, someone else to blame for their inabilities and loss of community. What’s your plan, council, for next year when tax dollars and businesses are gone?

Preparation, positioning and planning is how you win before you ever start the fight. Sometimes the battle is won by refusing to fight the battle. No fight is a win for all.

“Every battle is won or lost before it is ever fought.” — Sun Tzu, “The Art of War”