Why Business Advocacy Matters in Southwest Colorado
By Jeff Dupont, CEO, Durango Chamber of Commerce
March 4, 2026
If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that business owners must be resilient.
We’ve navigated inflation, workforce shortages, supply chain disruptions, rising insurance costs, and shifting consumer behavior. Just as conditions begin to stabilize, new economic headwinds emerge.
Business owners need the ability to pivot staffing models, manage pricing pressures, respond to regulatory changes, and adapt to real-time, often unpredictable, economic conditions.
Policy decisions made by our elected officials can either preserve that flexibility or unintentionally restrict it. That’s where advocacy comes in.
What works in Denver doesn’t always translate to rural communities like Durango, Pagosa Springs, Ignacio, Bayfield or Mancos. Our economy is different.
We rely heavily on tourism, which accounts for roughly one-third of our regional economic viability. We operate in seasonal cycles. We face rural transportation limitations. Workforce housing constraints look different here than along the Front Range. Supply chains stretch longer due to our remote location. Labor pools are smaller. Infrastructure costs are often higher.
A policy that may seem manageable in a metro area can have outsized impacts in a rural, seasonal economy.
In past conversations about collaboration, celebrations, and partnerships, we’ve emphasized that long-term success cannot happen in isolation. The same is true for advocacy. When Chambers, municipalities, nonprofits, and business leaders across Southwest Colorado align around shared priorities, our influence multiplies.
That’s why the Durango Chamber coordinated Southwest Day at the Capitol in early March.
We’re proud that leaders from Pagosa Springs, Ignacio, and Mancos joined Durango’s business and civic leaders to ensure Southwest Colorado is represented. Our economies are interconnected. When we show up together, we strengthen the entire region.
In February, the Durango Chamber surveyed regional employers to clarify legislative priorities across Southwest Colorado. 75 businesses responded, representing many within our small business community. The message was direct:
Attainable housing is the defining constraint.
- 68% identified housing as a top legislative priority.
- Housing is no longer just a community conversation, it is a workforce issue, a healthcare access issue, and a business expansion issue.
Healthcare affordability followed closely.
- 57% selected healthcare costs and access as a top concern.
- It ranked #1 as the area to protect if state spending is reduced.
- For rural Colorado, healthcare premium support is foundational to business sustainability.
Other priorities reinforce the pressure points:
- 47% cited skilled workforce shortages, particularly in the trades.
- 44% identified childcare access as a top issue.
Small businesses are carrying the weight of rising housing costs, healthcare premiums, insurance, utilities, and labor, often without the pricing power of larger corporations.
Business owners are focused on running their companies and have limited capacity to track complex, ongoing policy discussions. The Chamber’s role is to translate policy into practical impact and ensure decision-makers understand what proposed changes mean for a manufacturer in Bodo Park or a retailer on Main Avenue.
Our advocacy is not partisan. It is practical, fact-based, and rooted in the real-world experience of local employers.