Industry News
In the last few days of 2025, two Coloradans took a trip to California in pursuit of a business deal. Martinique ‘Marti’ Prohaska, the Mayor of Mountain Village, Colorado, and Meehan Fee, the Mayor pro-tem of Telluride, Colorado, flew to Newport Beach, California to meet with Chuck Horning, the maligned billionaire owner of Telluride Ski Resort, with an offer to buy a majority stake in the resort. In the midst of a labor strike putting a strain on the local economy, Prohaska and Fee sought to buy the resort from Horning to alleviate years of tension and outright dispute between Horning and Telluride’s community. They would not only leave empty handed, but would later both resign from their Mayoral positions, and be sued by Horning. Whether a case of poor judgement on the part of Prohaska and Fee, or a trap expertly laid by Horning, the story has shown that Horning is unwilling to relinquish control over the resort, as the mistrust between him and the community deepens.
The Colorado Sun reported that Prohaska and Fee represented a group of investors who offered to pay Horning $127.5 million for a 51% stake in the resort. Resort operations would have been controlled by Prohaska and Fee, with Horning staying on with a 29% share and Horning’s silent partner, Henry Samueli, retaining a 20% stake. Prohaska and Fee both have made statements saying they met with Horning as private citizens, not in their roles as elected officials. Neither Mayor informed their town councils that they intended to meet with Horning. While ownership of the ski resort would almost certainly create a conflict of interest in the future, making an offer to buy the ski resort does not necessarily create a problem.
However, the contract signed by Prohaska and Fee, leaked on Facebook a few days after the meeting, included a few provisions in “Exhibit B” that may raise some ethical eyebrows. Four of the five provisions in the agreement imply action on the part of the Town of Mountain Village and the Town of Telluride, neither of which is participating in the purchase. Exhibit B, in full, reads:
Immediately following the execution of this Agreement the following will occur:
a. Ski Patrol. Buyer will cause the Town of Mountain Village and the Town of Telluride to take commercially reasonable efforts to broker a cessation to the Ski Patrol strike with Patrol agreeing to the offer made by Seller to Patrol.
b. Water Prices. Buyer will cause the Town of Mountain Village and the Town of Telluride to hold water prices for Seller’s snowmaking at 2024 levels for the 2025-2026 season.
c. Housing. Within three (3) months of Closing, the Town of Mountain Village and the Town of Telluride shall enter into partnerships with TSG to ensure stable, high quality housing for TSG’s employees.
d. Flights. Within six (6) months of Closing, the Town of Mountain Village and the Town of Telluride shall modify regional spending on flight development within targeted key markets.
e. Capital Investment. Buyer commits to at least $50,000,000 in capital upgrades to the Telluride Ski Resort
Taken together, the provisions appear to be a wish list from Telluride Ski and Golf. The contract was shared in a Facebook group anonymously, and appears to be photos taken of a document on another computer or screen. The Colorado Sun reported that Prohaska and Fee made clear that they were not negotiating on behalf of the Town of Mountain Village or the Town of Telluride. The Telluride Times reported that it discussed Exhibit B with Prohaska in an interview on January 13, but the piece published January 14 did not include any details of that discussion.
On January 14, Prohaska resigned as Mayor, saying “Flying to California to meet with Chuck was born out of that love and hope, coupled with a sincere desire to find solutions to a real and pressing crisis that threatens our shared future.” The day after her resignation, Mayor Pro Tem Scott Pearson said “Whatever one’s view of her actions, we have no doubt they were motivated by a sincere desire to advance the long-term health and future of our region.” Less than two weeks later, Fee resigned as Telluride’s Mayor, saying, “While I fully maintain that I acted in good faith and at no time violated any ethical, moral or legal boundaries, it is impossible to ignore the rift that this episode has caused in our community.”
In a closed door meeting of the Mountain Village Town Council that was accidentally live streamed on YouTube, councilors speculated if Horning might have set up the whole thing. “It seems like he got exactly what he wanted,” one councilor said about Horning. It was pointed out several times that the Mayor does not have the power to guarantee the actions of the town on things like water prices, housing, or airline subsidies.
After two resignations, the fallout from the late December meeting was not over. Telski filed a lawsuit against Prohaska, Fee, and Mountain Village Town Manager Paul Wisor on February 24, alleging that the three had conspired to pressure Horning into selling. That conspiracy allegedly includes orchestrating the 13-day ski patrol strike, and Telski is seeking damages related to lost revenue during the strike.
What may have started as a private negotiation over sale of a storied ski resort has spiraled into a political scandal and legal fight that threatens the reputation of two local governments. Whether Horning steered Prohaska and Fee into a position to make inappropriate promises on behalf of their town councils or Prohaska and Fee were looking to capitalize on an opportunity, the consequences of the late-December meeting in California will continue to reverberate for months, as Telski’s lawsuit plays out in court.
What a drama fest. Do NOT ski Telluride. Vote and get rid of these elitist mayors.