Steamboat Springs City Council members Joella West and Steve Muntean are both seeking re-election this fall, but in a rare twist, each is running for the other’s seat. 

West, who has represented District 2 for four years, is seeking the citywide at-large seat, while Muntean, the current at-large councilor, will campaign in District 2.

Muntean said the decision was rooted in logistics and respect for West’s incumbency in District 2, where he currently lives.

“I live in District 2, and so I went for the at-large seat two years ago,” Muntean explained. “I’ve always said she’s the incumbent, so I respect whatever decision she wants to make … it just made more sense for both of us, where we were, to make that switch. So we decided, and we’re totally aligned with it.”

For West, the decision to transition from a district seat to the at-large seat was both personal and strategic.

“I’ve represented District 2 for four years, and as we all know, you run from a district, but you’re really not just representing the district. You’re elected by the entire voting population … so there is no loyalty to, ‘I have to represent the people who live in District 2.’ I have to represent the people who live everywhere in the city,” West said.

“Do you do another four years? Or are you going to burn out by Year 6 or Year 7?” she continued. “There are projects that I would love to see through that certainly aren’t going to come to fruition within the next two years, but I don’t know that four years would be the right choice for me.”

Both candidates made it clear: affordable housing remains their top concern.

“Obviously, housing is still a very large priority,” said Muntean, who said he is championing regional partnership strategies and creative uses of the city’s short-term rental tax fund. 

“One of those (strategies) is to work with large employers in the community who need workforce housing,” he said. “The other one is understanding the housing situation across the entire region, from Craig all the way out to Oak Creek and Yampa.”

Muntean expressed his support for long-term rental subsidies, such as those currently being considered by council for 10 units at the Lofts at Basecamp. 

“Every day that we don’t do something … the situation gets worse,” he added. 

West agreed that Brown Ranch — and broader affordable housing — will again headline her campaign. 

“Basically, everybody who ran four years ago was running on Brown Ranch. I ran on Brown Ranch, and it looks like I’m going to run on Brown Ranch again,” said West, noting that the issue of the 2,220-unit proposed housing development, which saw a failed annexation vote in March 2024, has not yet been solved. 

“If you look at where The Cottonwoods is now, that’s huge … and especially because this will be the first time that there have been affordable units for sale,” West continued. “There’s a whole strata of people who live in this town who could purchase a modestly priced home … and there’s been nothing available for so long. This is going to make a huge difference.”

Muntean and West also underscored the importance of smaller projects that are less complex and time-consuming than Brown Ranch.

“The longer we take to talk about Brown Ranch, the farther in the future that potential solution goes,” she said. 

Both councilors cited looming budget constraints as a major hurdle, as the recent forecast for sales tax growth in 2026 shows a 2% decline amid stagnating tourism and economic uncertainty.

“Sales tax revenues aren’t keeping up with inflation anymore. In fact, we’re falling behind,” said Muntean. “So we have to look at fiscal sustainability moving forward. It’s something that the sales tax model, I don’t think, is going to serve us the way we need it to for the next 20-plus years.”

“We have to produce a balanced budget every year. So … the result, we believe, is going to be budget cuts, and budget cuts equal service cuts,” said West.

Both candidates pointed to additional priorities for the upcoming term if elected, including transportation, behavioral health and short-term rental compliance enforcement.

“I’d love to see the workforce housing childcare center get completed … I’m cautiously optimistic that will happen,” said West. “I would like to see us work our way through the unintended consequences of the STR licensing … there have been some areas that we never imagined we would have to deal with, and we need to deal with them now.”

West mentioned the “fallout” from decisions made at the federal level, voicing concern over the potential trickle-down effects it could have on Steamboat Springs. 

“I am concerned about what will happen within the next couple of years, and what council or the city in general will be asked to do, or what we can figure out to do to alleviate the problem here,” said West. “I think that we need to build wider cooperation regionally. So Moffat and Rio Blanco (counties), along with Routt County.”

Both also praised council’s progress in collegiality and problem-solving, highlighting the successful response to the Casey’s Pond Senior Living crisis as a model for future action.

“We stepped up and started that ball rolling,” said Muntean of Casey’s Pond. “I think that that just shows what this community can do when you get everybody together and focus like a laser on something, and that came to fruition very, very quickly.”

Both councilors emphasized the complexity and weight of public service in Steamboat, especially with the city’s most pressing issues.

“It’s always more complex than you think in terms of running a city,” said Muntean. “I find it fun, I find it interesting, I find it challenging. Sometimes it can be a little frustrating, because things can move at a slower pace, if you will, because it’s a government entity.”

“It’s not just about City Council,” he added. “It’s about really collaborating and communicating with the residents of this community.”

West echoed the need for patience and open dialogue. 

“It takes careful listening to be a good member of council. Sometimes you need to be silent when you would love to say something, and sometimes you really have to say something, even when your mind says, ‘Well, maybe I shouldn’t say that,'” said West. “No, you really need to be out there. You need to participate.”

Last month, Councilor Dakotah McGinlay, the youngest person to ever serve on Steamboat’s city council, announced she would not seek re-election.