A big part of what makes Durango special is our strong sense of community, our appreciation for maintaining a high quality of life and our willingness to step up to meet challenges when they arise.
Such has been the case when citizens have previously supported the adoption of dedicated sales taxes to fund improvements to our parks, trails, open space and recreation facilities, which is a major reason why so many have chosen to call Durango home.
The City of Durango Parks and Recreation Advisory Board actively participates each year in the prioritization of capital projects for these funds and can attest to the difficulties of meeting all the needs of City residents.
The city ballot question 2A addresses a different but very important set of needs for the community that will have a positive impact on our quality of life well into the future, including dependable police services and the upkeep of the city’s aging infrastructure (roads, etc.).
The property and sales tax formulas developed for funding these initiatives are quite modest, especially when considering that the current tax structure is among the lowest in the state.
The city’s ENGAGE community forums over the past year and a half (along with statistically valid surveys) revealed citizen input regarding how best to meet the various identified needs, and this ballot question clearly takes into consideration those ideas. This reasonable tax increase is well worth the price for the vitality of the community.
Rich Hoehlein, chair, Parks and Recreation Advisory Board
Hesperus
