The floods in Vallecito, Pagosa Springs, Durango and across La Plata and Archuleta counties are a vivid reminder of why local government matters – and how essential well-funded public services are when disaster strikes.
The Herald’s editorial board commends the professional, coordinated response of first responders across jurisdictions – led on the ground through joint incident command by La Plata County Sheriff Sean Smith and Upper Pine River Fire Protection District Chief Bruce Evans.
La Plata County’s Emergency Operations Center, staffed by human and senior services, community development, code enforcement and administrative personnel, with support from La Plata County Search & Rescue, Durango Fire & Rescue and countless others, is overseeing the evacuation of 400 homes, sheltering, reentry and recovery. County fairgrounds management and state partners, including the Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Management and Department of Local Affairs, are also supporting the response. Their work demonstrates how local and state governments act as a critical safety net, prioritizing human life and community safety.
This storm produced historic flash flooding from intense, short-duration downpours, which dumped 4 to 6 inches of rain over two days. The torrents swept across wildfire-scarred terrain and already saturated ground, creating dangerous runoff in the lower valleys. It is a watershed in motion – higher-elevation rainfall funnels into creeks and rivers until they overflow.
The damage is extensive: two homes are lost, 90 to 100 more are damaged, and the county faces a 2026 deficit of up to $14 million, highlighting the urgent need for investment in local response capacity and essential services.
If anything, these floods are a sobering reminder of our vulnerability and the need to invest in local resilience. These events are not isolated; they are part of a broader climate reality. Readiness, response and strong local capacity define community strength. Vote “Yes/For” 1A: La Plata County’s 1% sales tax increase (Herald, Oct. 8), and 7B, the Upper Pine River Fire Protection District’s 1% sales tax (Herald, Oct. 5).
For more information or assistance, visit facebook.com/LaPlataCounty or contact the EOC at 385-8700.
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Colorado voters approved Proposition FF in 2022 with 57% support, launching free breakfasts and lunches for all K-12 public school students. Funded by limiting state income tax deductions for households earning over $300,000, the program has succeeded in eliminating the stigma for students and families of separate lines or labels for free and reduced meals and improving learning. As the USDA Food and Nutrition Service affirms, successful learning is more likely when students aren’t hungry. But, in its first two years, higher-than-expected participation and inflation drove costs beyond projections, creating a funding gap despite revenues exceeding the $100 million Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights’ cap.
November's statewide ballot offers two measures to bridge this gap. LL allows retention of the TABOR surplus – about $30 million – to address the shortfall. MM provides more robust funding, eliminating the need for LL by raising an additional $95 million through further deduction limits (costing high earners roughly $486 annually).
This would fully fund meals and support delayed components such as wage increases and meal worker stipends, grants for locally grown food, and equipment/technical assistance. Significantly, any excess revenues from MM would be added to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funding to offset almost $170 million in federal cuts – passed by Republicans in Congress and ordered by the White House – helping lower-income residents to combat food insecurity.
Both target incomes above $300,000, enabling those with greater means to ensure no child learns on an empty stomach. The Herald’s editorial board recommends a “Yes/For” vote on LL and MM to secure the future of the Healthy School Meals for All program (Herald, Sept. 17).
