As local business owners, parents, and voters who care deeply about children and issues affecting them in the Roaring Fork Valley, we strongly support ballot initiative 7A (“Strong Start, Bright Future”) and urge our fellow neighbors to vote yes alongside us this November.

Quality infrastructure and a healthy, stable community are essential for sustaining economic growth —including our own work in construction. When families struggle with childcare availability or cost, it limits workforce participation, reduces household stability, and constrains demand for homes, renovations, and community development. By investing in early childhood care, 7A will help more parents stay employed, support local businesses (including ours, Gould Construction), and strengthen this region’s economic base.

As parents, we know firsthand how difficult it is to find high-quality, affordable childcare in our valley. From Parachute to Aspen, only 44% of kids up to age five have access to a licensed child care spot. And those who can find one, frequently struggle to afford the cost of tuition, which is, on average, $1,400 per month, per child. Families struggle between whether they can “afford to work” because of the lack of access–meaning, many parents are often forced to drop out of their job entirely because their monthly childcare bill cancels out too large a portion of their monthly paycheck. 7A is designed to ease that burden, and support working parents.

7A will also provide tremendous benefits to our youngest children in this beloved community. We know that brain development in the first five years is critical: it lays the foundation for success in school and throughout life. Research has shown that children with access to quality early learning and care arrive at kindergarten better prepared, with stronger social and emotional skills, and have long-term academic advantages, which translates to reading earlier, graduating high school at higher rates and even achieving higher earnings after school. The strength of our community rests on setting all of our local children up for success.

So, how will it work? Ballot initiative 7A proposes a 0.25% sales and use tax on nonessential goods (meaning that everyday items like groceries, gas, diapers, medicine are excluded) across Garfield, Pitkin, and southwestern Eagle counties. The revenue would support expanded preschool and childcare capacity, reduce costs for families, and help raise wages for early childhood educators. By working together across county lines, we can help ensure that there are enough child care spots throughout our region to serve all the kids and families who want them – whether that be with a child care or preschool provider located closer to home or closer to work – and we can reduce the cost of care for everyone who needs it. Parents should be able to choose the care provider that’s the best fit for their family budget, schedule, location, and specific needs.

7A is a smart proposal that is attracting support from organizations and leaders you know and trust. All three Boards of County Commissioners in Garfield, Eagle, and Pitkin voted unanimously in March 2025 to refer this issue to voters. Small businesses, big employers, nonprofit organizations, elected officials, and education leaders are all coming out to endorse 7A because they know that this modest tax increase will deliver big benefits. The editorial board of this very newspaper said, “…it’s the best opportunity our region has had in years to help secure the best possible future for young families. And if they succeed, that means our communities succeed as well.” I couldn’t agree more.

When we strengthen early childhood systems, we not only support families and children — we support the foundation of our local economy and our future. As a family that builds structures, we believe 7A is one of those investments that builds something far more important: the future of our community.

We encourage every voter — especially those of us who care about our workforce, our children, and our local economy — to join us in voting yes on 7A.

Mark and Lindsay Gould live in Glenwood Springs where they own and operate Gould Construction.