Standing at the glass-recycle station, I could hear the wailing of the train whistle and the bells telling me that the great black engine was chugging toward me. I’m a longtime fan of the historic train. Like a little kid, I happily wave at all the passengers as I see their smiling faces. The train trip is a memory in the making. People never forget the train ride from Durango to Silverton. Today’s passengers are traveling in the footsteps of history.

As the mayor, I am grateful these folks chose Durango as their destination. Durango dollars come from visitors across the U.S. as well as foreign countries. These dollars recirculate into the community and support budgets for Durango, Bayfield, Ignacio, La Plata County, the state of Colorado and the Durango/La Plata County Joint Sales Tax. Durango businesses generate 77 percent of all sales tax in La Plata County.

Durango has recovered from the recent Great Recession, according to the data on sales tax. Sales tax is the grease that makes all the engines in Durango run smoothly. The city property tax for residents has not changed since 1983. Therefore, it is the sales tax that is the green source for the city’s General Fund. The City Council in 2013 added almost $2 million to the 2014 street department budget from the General Fund to play catch-up on street projects that were set aside during the Great Recession. The sales tax allows City Council to increase spending on needed infrastructure projects.

Recently, City Council and La Plata County commissioners signed an agreement to begin the infrastructure work at Wilson Gulch Road. The city received a grant from the state for $4.2 million to aid in the construction of the Wilson Gulch Road project. The city and the county will pay $4 million to build roads, sidewalks, lighting, landscaping, curbs and gutters. Moving the dirt will begin in the fall. By 2015, the infrastructure will be in place to invite new retailers to Durango. Even more critical, there will be a secondary emergency access road to the hospital. The Bridge to Nowhere is the Bridge to the Future. This access will save lives!

“Build it, and they will come” is an expression I heard in a movie. Well, this is real life, not a movie.

Real life to me is the regional retail market that will be built near Three Springs. New employment for electricians, carpenters, brick masons, plumbers, dump trucks drivers, construction workers, retail sales force and custodial staffs – who will recirculate their paychecks into this community – will be a great benefit. The loss in retail sales to our neighbors in New Mexico is staggering. A city study showed that $40 million flowed out of our county. The leakage south only hurts our neighbors, snow-removal budgets, street projects, hiring police officers and funding amenities that all of us enjoy in Durango. With the coming of new stores to Durango, we will draw our friends from Dolores, Cortez and Pagosa Springs, as well as shoppers from New Mexico.

The expression “shop in local stores” takes on a new meaning when City Council faces tough budget decisions. The county and state coffers will also prosper with new dollars from the proposed retail markets.

Talk about Target has been floating around Durango for over a decade. Target and other stores expect the infrastructure to be in place before their corporate headquarters makes any decisions. City Council is on a path to create a retail destination that will benefit this community. Yes, it’s been a long time in the making. Government wheels move slowly, but the wheels are moving. That’s the good news!

As city councilor, I voted to annex the Crader property that will become the new retail area. Longtime resident Bill Crader was quite a guy in Durango. I can still see his white hat and white coat and hear his roaring laughter. Bill and his family called Durango home. Bill left us much too early, but what he did leave was a love for Durango. His love will be the future for our hometown.

Thanks, Bill.

Sweetie Marbury is the mayor of Durango, a position rotating among members of City Council. She was elected to the City Council in 2011 and will serve as mayor until April 2015, when she will be succeeded by now-Mayor pro tem Dean Brookie. Reach her at SweetieMarbury@DurangoGov.org.