Election season has a way of making every ballot question sound like a choice between prosperity and ruin. Vote yes and save the community. Vote no and save the taxpayer. Yet real life and good public policy are rarely that simple.

At Vail Valley Partnership, we evaluate ballot measures through a practical business lens: What problem are we trying to solve? Is the proposed solution connected to that problem? Who benefits? And perhaps most importantly, does this help the business and the community?

Using that framework, VVP supports two local measures on the November ballot: the Town of Gypsum’s proposed lodging tax and Eagle County School District ballot question 5B.

Gypsum voters will consider a 4% municipal lodging tax that would replace the existing 4% Eagle County lodging tax collected on hotels and other overnight accommodations within the town.

“Replace” is doing some important work in that sentence. This is not an additional 4% tax piled on top of the existing county tax. It would redirect the lodging tax already being collected in Gypsum, so those dollars are controlled and invested locally.

That makes sense. This is about aligning revenue with responsibility. Gypsum provides many of the services and experiences that support its visitors and businesses. Hence, retaining lodging tax revenue generated within its boundaries creates a clearer connection between collection, spending, and voter accountability.

VVP also supports Eagle County School District ballot question 5B, a mill levy override focused on attracting and retaining high-quality teachers and support staff, strengthening reading, writing, and math instruction, restoring art, music, and physical education, and maintaining student access to mental health professionals.

Why is a business organization weighing in on school funding? Because excellent schools are economic infrastructure. Our schools and our public education system are the foundation of community and are essential to our business success.

Employers cannot recruit and retain talented people if those employees do not believe their children will receive a quality education. Businesses cannot thrive over the long term without a prepared workforce. Working families cannot build their futures here if the people educating their children cannot afford to remain here.

Our teachers and school employees face the same housing costs and cost-of-living pressures affecting nearly every employer in Eagle County. Competitive compensation is not an abstract issue in education. It is a workforce necessity.

Strong instruction prepares students for college and careers. Art, music and physical education help develop creative, healthy and engaged young people. Mental health professionals help students address challenges before those challenges become crises.

We view that less like “extra spending” and more like investing in our future. It is an important investment to strengthen our community.

Question 5B also contains the accountability voters should demand. The revenue remains local. Senior administration is excluded from receiving the funds. Annual independent audits are required.

No tax question deserves automatic support nor automatic opposition. Families and businesses face real financial pressures, and asking voters for additional money should never be treated casually. Proponents have an obligation to demonstrate a clear need, a reasonable solution, and meaningful accountability.

Both local measures meet that test. Gypsum’s proposal gives the town control of lodging revenue already generated within the community. Question 5B invests directly in educators, students, working families, and our future workforce, while supporting our business community, both directly and indirectly.

A strong economy requires more than successful businesses. It requires good schools, functional communities, and places where employees and their families can build a life. That is community vitality.

That is community vitality. Support both measures.

Chris Romer is president & CEO of Vail Valley Partnership, 3-time national chamber of the year. Learn more at VailValleyPartnership.com