In a few short weeks, Steamboat Springs residents will be presented with their ballots for the 2018 midterm elections.  While there are contentious items on every ballot, there’s one box this year that should be easy for every local to check; “yes” on 2A.

Like many of us, I’m enjoying the benefits of a booming economy, plentiful work and first-world problems like a crowded trailhead or a two-block walk from my car to the farmers market. During these booms, it’s easy to forget the issues Steamboat residents faced a decade ago when sales tax was down, visitors were in short supply and the job market was working against those trying to build a future in our community.

In the construction industry, many of Steamboat’s best tradesmen and women were forced to leave as demand for their skills dropped during the last recession. It has taken almost 10 years to recover, and today, Steamboat prospers from a diverse economy whereby a trade professional can command similar or better wage potential to their peers in white-collar industries.

Steamboat’s airline program, first successfully funded in 2011, in part by a 0.25 percent sales tax and now brought forward at a 20 percent reduced rate, has helped to maintain the steady wage potential of all industries in our community.

A vote for 2A is not just a vote for those industries directly linked to our visitors, it is a vote for the carpenter, nurse and every other wage earner in this community. While our economics have diversified somewhat over the past 20 years, the Steamboat community enjoys the amenities of a metropolis within the boundaries of a town.

Whether you’re planning a trip from Yampa Valley Regional Airport or not, look no further than the plentiful restaurant options, expansive trail system and thriving arts community to see the impact made from a consistent air program.

This November, let’s vote to ensure we don’t lose the diversity of careers aided by a successful air program. Vote “yes” on 2A.

Charlie MacArthur

Steamboat Springs