Economic Vitality and Sustainability

A Community to Come Home To

Why this matters:

A local economy is only strong if it can support stability when disruption occurs.

A strong local economy is not measured only by visitor numbers, investment, or a good season. It is measured by whether people who work here can build stable lives here, whether small businesses can plan beyond the next month, and whether the community can absorb disruption without unraveling.

The recent closure of the ski area has laid bare how fragile a tourism-based economy can be. When so much of a county’s economic life depends on a single employer, a single season, or a single point of failure, the effects of disruption are immediate and far-reaching. Workers lose income. Small businesses lose customers. Families face uncertainty. Local governments feel the strain as well.

This is not about assigning blame or relitigating a labor dispute. Local governments do not negotiate private contracts, and they should not pretend otherwise. But moments like this do require honest reflection about what we are asking our communities to absorb, and whether we are doing enough to reduce vulnerability over the long term.

Economic vitality, at its core, is about risk management.

Local governments have a responsibility to strengthen the foundations that make communities more resilient when disruption occurs. That starts with housing people can afford. In a high-cost county, housing insecurity turns economic disruption into crisis. When people are already stretched, even a short interruption in income can push families to the brink or out of the community entirely.

Wages and housing cannot be separated from this conversation. An economy where people are one missed paycheck away from instability is not a resilient economy. Living wages and predictable employment are not just labor issues. They are essential to economic sustainability.

Infrastructure matters as well. Transportation, water, wastewater, broadband, emergency services, and healthcare are not optional amenities. They are the systems that allow communities to function during both good times and hard ones. Growth that outpaces infrastructure increases risk and undermines long-term stability.

Diversification is another key piece. A healthy local economy includes small businesses, agriculture, the trades, healthcare, education, and year-round services that anchor daily life. These sectors help keep money circulating locally and provide continuity when tourism slows or stops.

Coordination across local governments is critical. Housing, workforce needs, infrastructure, and land use decisions do not stop at jurisdictional boundaries. When towns and counties act in isolation, risk is often shifted rather than reduced. Thoughtful coordination helps ensure that growth strengthens the whole region instead of concentrating vulnerability in one place.

Economic vitality is not about growth at any cost. It is about reducing fragility so communities can weather disruption and still hold together.

If San Miguel County is to remain a community people can come home to, we must take these lessons seriously. Not to point fingers, but to build a local economy that is steadier, fairer, and better prepared for the realities we are facing.