A proposal to tax lift tickets to finance mass transit improvements, made by some Breckenridge Town Council members, is drawing fire from the business community.
Several town business leaders have come out against a lift ticket tax proposal put forward by council and community members, calling the measure “punitive.”
Vail Resorts executives said they strongly oppose the tax and recently agreed to work with the town to try to find ways to improve the town’s transit systems without the tax, but officials said they weren’t convinced even finding transit solutions would put the lift ticket tax idea to bed.
The town council has discussed asking voters to approve a lift ticket tax, also known as an amusement or admissions tax, to be used to improve and combine the Breckenridge Free Ride and resort transit services into one streamlined system.
A 4.5 percent tax would bring in an estimated $2.9 million dollars annually from lift ticket sales alone, but no decisions on the amount or scope of the tax have been made, town officials said.
“We accepted transit as something that could be better if we worked together on it,” Vail Resorts executive Blaise Carrig said. “I’m not sure if we solve it that that’s going to put down the lift ticket tax ultimately.”
Vail Resorts has said it will not absorb the tax, but pass the expense on to customers.
Council members and local business leaders from the restaurant and lodging sectors met with ski resort executives Friday to discuss the proposed tax question along with other business issues and opportunities.
Council members at the meeting said the community’s push for the lift ticket tax seemed to be targeted at the resort and related to national anti-corporate sentiment.
“This is a punitive thing for a lot of people in the community,” Councilman Eric Mamula said.
But business leaders opposed the tax, saying it would be more effective to work with the resort.
“I am not in favor of a lift ticket tax at this time,” said Dick Carleton, who owns two Breckenridge restaurants.
At least one town council member agreed, though several have expressed concerned that waiting to put the lift ticket tax on the ballot as a town could cause a citizen’s group to take action, in which case the town might have no say in where the revenue is directed.
The tax, if approved by voters, could be applied to lift ticket sales, summer fun park revenue, bar and restaurant cover charges, theater tickets, sleigh ride revenue and event ticket sales.
