I urge the Breckenridge Town Council to reconsider the proposal to limit short-term rental licenses in Breckenridge. Visitors drive our economy and are critical to the success of local businesses, which employ our local workforce. Local workers need year-round housing, whereas many short-term rental licenses are held by homeowners who occupy their units part time and only rent their homes when they are away.

These properties are unlikely to become year-round workforce housing since owners will want to use their properties. The current proposal will lower property values and hurt local businesses while creating minimal new workforce housing. A better approach would be to raise the short-term rental tax and use the added revenue to build new workforce apartments, small homes and other workforce housing. At a minimum, the proposed limit on rental licenses should apply only to full-time rentals and not to units which are owner occupied part time.