I believe that the letters from Maxine and Marty Solomon and Andrea Brown about second-home owners being requested to stay away from Summit County during this pandemic were spot on.
Second-home owners are the lifeblood of much of what happens in the county. They own property here, pay taxes and many support our nonprofits. As citizens of our great country, they have a right to expect that they can reside in any home that they own as long as they obey the local rules. I have not seen any empirical evidence that suggests second-home owners don’t or won’t obey our rules.
My wife and I have owned a home in Summit since 1998 and have been full-time residents since 2010. We count many second-home owners among our friends. One such couple, who were here in March when the county began shutting down, left for their other home because they felt unwelcome here. These folks are major supporters of the community, and we hope they will return with no ill feelings. But that remains to be seen.
When issuing guidance during these troubled times, it is imperative that consideration be given to unintended consequences. No one’s rights should be challenged or infringed upon just because they have more than one address.
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