Sample Ballot to be distributed by mail and must be submitted by April 1st
Town of Paonia
Town of Paonia Ballot Question 2B
Shall Ordinance 2024-05, an ordinance of the Town of Paonia Colorado enacting Article 5 (Short Term Rental Licenses) of Chapter 6 (Business Licenses and Regulations) of the Paonia Municipal Code and Revising Article 1 (General Provisions), Article 3 (District Regulations) of Chapter 16 (Zoning), and enacting Article 9 (Short Term Rental Regulations) of Chapter 16 (Zoning) be Repealed?
Town of Paonia Ballot Question 2C
To reduce the Town’s financial burden concerning publishing ordinances in full upon adoption, shall the Town of Paonia be permitted to publish said ordinances by title only, as permitted under Colorado law, provided that the full text of all such ordinances be made available for review at Paonia Town Hall, located at 214 Grand Avenue Paonia, Colorado 81428, Town of Paonia website, or other locations as the Board may designate.
From Deborah Spiegel:
Paonia Ballot - 2B or not 2B?
2B is not for or against short-term rentals.
2B is a vote to fix a bad law that reaches into the home of every Paonia resident. Don’t wait to be blindsided by unintended consequences to you! Repeal 2024-0 so Paonia can create a fair solution that works. Vote “YES” on 2B
From Deborah Spiegel: You’re not voting for or against STRs —you’re voting to fix a bad law. Repeal the ordinance and create a fair solution for Paonia. Vote YES on 2B!.
From Deborah Spiegel: Paonia’s Short-Term Rental Law Does Not Recognize How We Afford to Stay in Our Homes
Paonnia’s economy is nuanced. Resourceful and resilient citizens have managed to sustain themselves by juggling multiple jobs and creating supplemental income sources, such as using a room as a home office, studio, for internet work, or as an occasional rental.
In December 2024, the Town passed a new law aimed at controlling Short-Term Rentals. But did you know that the final version of this law places the greatest burden on residents who live in their homes and occasionally rent out a room for less than 30 days?
A long standing right and vital part of our communities’ survival toolkit has now been turned into a rare “privilege”. Permitting is intensely competitive and out of reach for most residents. We need a fair, balanced law that understands and respects our community, the commitment and struggle residents have made (and still make) to live here YES - We Can Fix This! Paonia
From Deborah Spiegel: Do You Live in Your Home Most of the Time?
You should be Able to Rent Out a Room Some of the Time!
Under Paonia’s new Short-Term Rental law, no one has a right to rent out a room (have roommates) in their own home for less than a month. The fine is $300/day.
Only 30 annual licenses for this “privilege” are available for any type of rental of less than 30 days. It does not matter if you occasionally rent out a room, share your home, or have a dedicated business.
Once granted, the limited number of licenses can be renewed and remain unavailable to the community, eliminating any potential for regular folks to offer a room on a low key and occasional basis.
People may think this law can be evaded by not advertising online, but Paonia doesn’t need a law that drives citizens underground!
YES you can stop the Town from mandating how long you must live with someone in your own home!
Most all “STR-legislation” in CO (Front Range) DEFINE “Short-Term Rentals” as LESS THAN 30 Days…
“Adams County is one of the few Colorado markets that DO NOT HAVE ANY laws and regulations. There have been no talks or discussions on introducing such rules in the future.
This means that both owner-occupied and non-owner occupied vacation rentals are legal in Adams County as local laws do not expressly prohibit them. This makes Adam County an ideal location for investing in the Airbnb strategy in Colorado, where many markets face major restrictions for out-of-state and full-time investors.
In Adams County the local sales tax rate is 0.75%, while the lodging tax rate is 5%”
Thank you for posting the article from “Awning”. While there are various differences in how Counties or City’s within CO impose STR regulations, a glaring “take-away” are the fees imposed for STR’s:
Adams County -NONE/NO regulation
Boulder-License fee of $190 + required Business License of $25. Licenses are good for four years but a short form fee of $20 is required each year.
Colorado Springs- $119+ a valid business license
Denver-$100 per year
Fort Collins-$150, renewed annually for a fee of $100.
The Town of Paonia is proposing:
$500/house per year plus $250++? For a Special Review if outside the Com’l Zone. $150/room /year for each room within a home + $250++ Special Review.
$300/Occurrence, plus $300/day fines and charges of a misdemeanor for noncompliance.
Let that sink in!
From Deborah Spiegel: I have a friend who lives up the street from me whose son goes to visit his father in the summer. She’s a single mom, always juggling jobs so she can survive here. She likes to occasionally rent his room by the week to SEI students. She likes meeting the people who come here to study from all around the world. She didn’t know she can’t do that any more without a short term rental license so is now out of luck. She’s tempted to do it anyway but is afraid she’ll get hit with the $300/day fees the Town will impose on people renting a room for less than 30 days without a license. You can help! If you live in your home most of the time you should be allowed to rent a room some of the time, even for less than 30 days. There is an election coming up - It’s NOT asking you to vote for or against short term rentals. If you are registered to vote in Paonia, and you choose to vote YES on 2B in the upcoming election, you can help stop the law as it is currently written and then it can be made more fair for the average resident in Paonia… YES we can fix it.
I understand the town’s desire to manage short-term rentals. It’s important to balance the needs of the community, and I believe we all want Paonia to thrive. But the way this ordinance is written is confusing and unfair in many ways, and doesn’t truly solve the issues it’s meant to solve.
I just rent out a room here and there as a service to my community. I help people who come for Cherry Days and have a booth and the hotels are full so they are stranded without a place to sleep, or a student at Elsewhere studio, or someone who came for the tai chi workshop or the music or any other of the numerous tourist events held around here. The hotels have limited numbers of rooms. That’s when they seek a STR like me, a room nearby that they can stay at. I am not in it to get rich. I didn’t buy a house and keep it from renters who can’t find housing to live in full time. No. This is my personal home and I have a guest room and bathroom. What I do inside my own home should not be regulated by the government.
Vote YES to REPEAL Town of Paonia Municipal Ordinance #2024-05 (2B on Ballot)
KEEP Fed/State/County/Municipalities “Hands-OFF Private Property” It works for every Human, Citizen.
KEEP Fed/State/County/Municipalities “Hands-OFF Free-Market Economy” It works for every Human, Citizen.
KEEP Fed/State/County/Municipalities “Hands-OFF Free Speech” Recognized & protected as a US Citizen’s Right under the US Constitution, Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Human Rights Jurisprudence. It works for every Human, Citizen.
