I am disheartened that several people have come to me saying they didn’t fully understand the petition being circulated by the “Let Steamboat Vote” campaign when they signed it, and I want to ensure that anyone who signs this petition understands what it means for the Brown Ranch workforce housing project and for Steamboat Springs.

The petition would delay Brown Ranch, and those who are running the petition are diametrically opposed to the Brown Ranch. If you sign the petition, you cannot remove your signature. So be careful what you sign.

What does signing the petition really mean?

If the petition gains enough signatures, the annexation ordinance will go to a public vote where only Steamboat residents voices will be heard. Leaving out those who live in the county. 

The public vote would be next year sometime in the spring, delaying the Brown Ranch by at least four to eight months.

$15 million in grant funds that could be awarded to the city and Yampa Valley Housing Authority will be canceled, making Brown Ranch less affordable.  

I applaud the Brown Ranch Annexation Committee members and staff for creating an annexation agreement that protects the city, does not raise taxes and creates affordable housing in a community-developed phased plan.

If we approve the annexation agreement now, without a limited public vote, there will be a phased Brown Ranch where we can expect 100 homes built each year of affordable and attainable housing for our workforce.

I have a vision for our beloved town. I envision my friends, neighbors, co-workers and community members working and living in Steamboat — a place where they are starting families, building businesses and continuing to be the backbone and foundation of our community because they have stable housing they can afford at the Brown Ranch.

Also, vote yes on ballot initiative 2I if you want to see more affordable and attainable housing in our community. This ballot question is asking the voters to take the next step in allocating the short-term rental tax that was approved last year to specifically fund Brown Ranch.

Please reach out if you have questions or concerns, and I’d be happy to have a respectful discussion.

Dakotah McGinlay represents District 3 on Steamboat Springs City Council.

Editor’s note: This guest column has been updated from its original version to remove references to specific events that are disputed by the Let Steamboat Vote committee and cannot be independently verified.