S T E A M B O AT
TODAY
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 23, 2009
Steamboat Springs, Colorado
®
Vol. 21, No. 228
RO U T T
S T E A M B O AT S P R I N G S
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N E W S PA P E R
State bound
Vintage Italian Mambo Italiano to unveil new pieces of art by Mari Mack on Thursday Page 14
H AY D E N
Creek View reopens Hayden restaurant closed Thursday because of unpaid taxes
JOHN F. RUSSELL/STAFF
Page 15
SPORTS
Steamboat Springs’ Kaelen Gunderson sends his ball down the fairway Tuesday during the regional golf tournament at the Haymaker Golf Course. Players from across the Western Slope came to Steamboat hoping to land a spot in the state tournament. See the story on page 27.
Proposed tax bashed
YVRA car rental businesses fear impact of possible Hayden levy Blythe Terrell
Rockies win, 11-10 Page 27
HAYDEN
In a worst-case scenario, a new car rental tax in Hayden could knock business down by 10 to 15 percent, Aaron Wiltfong said. He operates Budget Rent A Car at Yampa Valley Regional Airport, and his wife, Kay, operates Avis Rent A Car. The two
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PILOT & TODAY STAFF
Horoscope . . . . .32 Nation. . . . . . . . .25 Sports. . . . . . . . .27 ViewPoints . . . . . .8 Weather . . . . . . .43 World . . . . . . . . .26
Tuesday night’s Cash 5 numbers: 10-14-17-23-31 Drawings are held Monday through Saturday.
live in Hayden and will be among those voting on the proposed tax Nov. 3. They’ll probably be a couple of tallies in the “no” column. “By adding that increased cost, that could convince some folks to fly into Denver and rent a car there,” Aaron Wiltfong said. “And that cuts the airport completely out of everything.” The Hayden Town Council
■ WEATHER
Cloudy and cool with showers. High of 54.
Page 43
voted Aug. 6 to send two ordinances to voters. One would increase sales tax on car rentals by 3.5 percent, to 11.4 percent. The other would increase tax on accommodations by 3.5 percent, to 11.4 percent. The Wiltfongs expressed displeasure about several elements of the proposed car rental tax. One: The money isn’t earmarked for anything specific. Two: There’s
no end date. Three: Most of the people being taxed, tourists, can’t vote on the issue. Kay Wiltfong said she was particularly worried about the Town Council’s spending of the revenue. The town has had to make budget cuts, including decreasing staffing and hours. If the town already has overextended itself, See Tax, page 18
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