The lies have to stop. Republican candidates Lyle McKnight and Kayla Patterson are cowering behind some guy who posts anonymous letters about imaginary money trails at the county fair then gets a stooge to submit them to the Herald. Based on comments Lyle has made at public forums, I have to assume he believes these baseless accusations.
The hyperventilating has to stop. Commissioners Gwen Lachelt and Julie Westendorff do receive some money – in $50 to $200 increments – from attorneys, it’s true. They also receive money from those who, heaven forbid, may also be concerned with our air and water, or with the Arts Center or even 4H. You know, from citizens.
There are no magic wands to wave. Republicans seem to think that, if voted into office, they can magically cause a new land-use code to appear. Presto chango: If only we had a new code, the new businesses would create new jobs and new homes and all would be well in the county.
Reality is tougher. First comes the guiding Comp Plan – begun in 2001, rejected in 2011, resurrected in 2014 by these commissioners in a cost-effective manner. Next comes revision of the Code of Ordinances, a 1,000-plus page code cobbled together over 30 years. Current commissioners Lachelt, Westendorff and Blake have made important short-term improvements while also budgeting for its complete overhaul. They want the code to be accurate, predictable and fair, and that takes time and money, not magic wands.
County governance is not easy. It’s not a private business that follows one man’s vision and can take out a line of credit in a tough year. Budgets must be balanced every year (by statute); the concerns of 56,000 citizens must be balanced as well.
Do not believe the lies, the hyperventilating or the promise of magic wands. We have two hardworking, serious, incumbent commissioners, Gwen Lachelt and Julie Westendorff. You can – and should – vote for both.
Anne Markward
Durango
