Yikes, increase our sales and property taxes? What is the city thinking?
I think the city is trying to support our quality of life, ensure our health and safety, and maintain/repair our current and future infrastructure. The overwhelming message citizens give the city is to maintain what we have.
If your roof is leaking, you fix the leak or risk losing your whole house. Likewise, if our roads need repair, it is totally irresponsible to ignore it until they completely fail, especially with the cost of materials and labor constantly increasing.
Taking money from one pot and just shifting it to another does not solve the overall problem of not enough money to efficiently and effectively provide the services citizens desire: police protection, fire/EMS services, recreation, adequate roads/bridges/sidewalks/ADA compliance, and code enforcement to name a few.
The city has looked ahead and seen that our current revenue sources (sales and property taxes) are not enough to cover basic services. Instead of kicking the proverbial can down the road (which is what politicians typically do), they are asking the voters of Durango to step up and be responsible.
Give the City the ability to build a new police station and adequately staff it, keep necessary reserves on hand for unforeseen expenses and economic downturns in our economy, allow the recreation/natural lands sales taxes previously overwhelmingly approved by residents to continue to fund these endeavors, address current infrastructure needs, and create and implement long-term infrastructure maintenance and replacement plans.
Vote YES on 2A!
Sandy Burke
Durango, Colorado
