The Ouray City Council is backing away from a proposal to ask voters in November to tax the owners of short-term rental units, deciding instead to direct staff to gather more information about a range of issues related to affordable housing.

With Councilor Dee Hilton absent, the rest of the council informally agreed during a work session Aug. 1 to table Mayor Pam Larson’s idea to tax vacation rentals and other units rented for fewer than 30 days as a way to generate funding to encourage t...