At the conclusion of the discussion, Council member Mat deGraaf volunteered to meet with the citizens who’ve proposed two ballot questions…
Author: Bill Hudson
Bill Hudson began sharing his opinions in the Pagosa Daily Post in 2004 and can't seem to break the habit. He claims that, in Pagosa Springs, opinions are like pickup trucks: everybody has one.
EDITORIAL: Freeing Ourselves from the Tourism Trap, Part Seven
“Massive” is right. The County tax collection from the first quarter alone was more than the entire year in 2015. And it’s all being spent to subsidize the tourism industry…
EDITORIAL: Freeing Ourselves from the Tourism Trap, Part Six
According to the discussion yesterday, there are approximately 300 RVs in the Aspen Springs subdivision, that appear to be year-round residences. So maybe 500 people… living illegally?…
EDITORIAL: Freeing Ourselves from the Tourism Trap, Part Five
“Second, there has never been a better moment to invest in vacation home rentals than now. With a fast-growing market and several booking platforms, finding tenants for your short term rental is easier than ever…”
EDITORIAL: Freeing Ourselves from the Tourism Trap, Part Four
Nothing much Colorado towns can do about VRBO and AirB&B. But we can do something about taxes…
EDITORIAL: Freeing Ourselves from the Tourism Trap, Part Three
“Many stakeholders expressed regret that the town and county did not move faster to implement housing solutions before costs were this high and the gap so wide….”
EDITORIAL: Freeing Ourselves from the Tourism Trap, Part Two
“The Pagosa Springs Area Tourism Board is projecting, in their draft budget, similar collections for 2022. About $1.2 million….”
EDITORIAL: Freeing Ourselves from the Tourism Trap, Part One
“I just want to know, if we see an anomaly in our numbers, I just want to know — is it us? Or is it everybody? Especially when we’re going to be goofing around with our Lodgers Tax…”
EDITORIAL: A Casual Glance at Amendment 78
Increased transparency? An attempt to disrupt government and create uncertainty? Is the measure even legal?
EDITORIAL: Budget Season in Colorado, Not to be Confused with Hunting Season
The Colorado rules specify that a government body must hear a presentation of their draft budget by October 15 each year…
EDITORIAL: When a River Runs Through It, Legally Speaking…
In 1983, Colorado Attorney General Woodard wrote an opinion — which is just an opinion, not settled law…
VIDEO: The LPEA Annual Meeting, In Case You Missed It
Members were invited, at the end of the meeting, to pose questions, and the staff did their best to answer them…
EDITORIAL: When Sewage Pumps Fail, Part Two
The Town borrowed millions of dollars to build the sewer pipeline — including a sizable loan from PAWSD…
EDITORIAL: When Sewage Pumps Fail, Part One
At the conclusion of the interviews last night, the Council voted unanimously to appoint current Town Planning Commission member Jeff Posey to fill the vacancy for the next 30 months…
EDITORIAL: A Drought is a Terrible Thing to Waste, Part Three
“The State of Colorado’s irrigated acreage assessments… shows that irrigated acreage has decreased by 6 percent over the past 25 years in the San Juan basin….”
EDITORIAL: A Drought is a Terrible Thing to Waste, Part Two
“This, when coupled with the La Niña forecast for the coming winter, suggests the ongoing Southwestern U.S. drought will very likely last well into 2022…”
EDITORIAL: A Drought is a Terrible Thing to Waste, Part One
“Drought conditions will improve when water supply from precipitation increases, water demand from high temperatures decreases, or some combination thereof occurs…”
Everyone Loves Tracy Stone-Manning
“In the face of our changing climate, we need a Senate-confirmed director who can rebuild the Bureau of Land Management…”