Disappointed in vacation rental decision

I read in the March 13 Whitefish Pilot that the city council has voted to eliminate many vacation rental homes that operate within their jurisdiction. Many of these families who own lakeshore properties have been forced by escalating property taxes to turn to short term rentals to generate the income they need to pay the property taxes.

These are families who have faced property tax increases of more than 400 percent over the last reappraisal cycle. It is a very tough decision to be forced into moving out of your home to rent it to families on vacation to enjoy. It will be heartbreaking to see these same families now taxed out of their properties without the vacation rental income available to meet their exorbitant property tax requirements.
These families were not free to come and participate in the hearing process for fear of exposure and curtailment by Whitefish city bureaucrats. According to the Whitefish planner, these families are already being hunted on the Internet so the city can curtail their rental opportunity. The curtailment will result for many in their choice being reduced to selling and leaving their homes, as there will be no legal options remaining to generate the income to sustain the extremely high tax burden.
This is another good example of callous overreach on the part of Whitefish city government. I am disappointed the council allowed the planning department’s heavy hand on this issue. I am very sorry for the families involved. What a shame.
And the families who have enjoyed vacation in these home will take their vacations and their dollars elsewhere.
— Debbie Biolo