SAM Magazine - Telluride, Colo., October 29, 2007 - Dave Riley, Telluride's new CEO, is creating controversy in this southern Colorado ski town. Riley has raised eyebrows with his contention that the operators of the Mountain Village to Town gondola do not deserve a raise, as they are already getting paid too much.

While the town of Telluride operates the gondola, which connects the historic mining town of Telluride to the ski area's Mountain Village complex of shops, condominiums, hotels and second homes, the ski resort has a voice in the gondola's operations. According to the Telluride Watch, Riley questioned a pay increase of $1 per hour for gondola operators. Currently, operators are paid $12 per hour, with a $1 per hour bonus for sticking out the season.

In questioning the need for a pay raise, Riley cited the NSAA salary survey. "The National Ski Areas Association comparable position and the national wage for that job is $8.06," Riley said, adding, "only 36 percent of the ski areas provide an end-of-season bonus." He did not suggest that this standard should apply in Teluride, but noted that gondola operators there are already paid more than the national average.

Most jobs in Telluride command substantially more than comparable work in cities like Denver. The town faces, like many of Colorado's other resort communities, a severe shortage of both workers and places to house them. And, with some of the highest real estate prices in the country, it's unlikely that employees will be buying homes in the valley anytime soon. \