Durango’s Parks and Recreation budget is inflated, some residents say, and that money should be reappropriated to pay for infrastructure improvements the city says it needs.
Now, residents who support Durango’s outdoor lifestyle and the amenities parks and recreation provide are striking back, saying the city should look elsewhere for revenue, and, if anything, should look for ways to increase funding for parks and recreation.
Durango City Council hosted a listening session this week with the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, the Natural Land Preservation Advisory Board and the Multimodal Advisory Board about the possibility of using dedicated parks and recreation funding to pay for infrastructure and law enforcement.
Each board had a similar reaction: No way.
Moving the dedicated money would sow distrust in the community, as it could set a precedent that any voter-approved sales tax might be reappropriated.
“When we put these things to the public, they said more open space, more trails,” said Frank Viehmann, a member of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. “To turn around and try to find the ways to go back on that is not learning the lessons they taught us. There are people who would have dirt streets and great recreation.”
The money collected for parks and recreation funding is also used to leverage grants and matching funds, making the dollars more effective.
“These commitments that we have with our various partners are important, and a lot of outside money comes in to improve the effectiveness of how that money is spent,” said Steve Whiteman, a member of the Natural Land Preservation Advisory Board. “This is a very cost-effective expenditure of city money.”
City voters in November rejected a proposal, by a margin of more than 20 percent, to raise the sales tax by 0.55 percent and the property tax by 5.4 mills. The city asked for the increase to pay for streets, sidewalks, a new police station, law enforcement and city buildings. The city needs somewhere between $8 million and $10 million annually to keep up with city building and infrastructure needs, Assistant City Manager Amber Blake said months ago.
Since the tax increase was rejected, City Council has held multiple listening sessions to learn more about why residents rejected the tax increase and what suggestions they have for funding those essential needs.
Some residents, like John Simpson, have said money in the Parks and Recreation budget could be repurposed to pay for infrastructure and law enforcement.
“There can be no other conclusion than that the citizens of Durango expect you to fix this problem with existing revenues,” Simpson said.
Anthony Savastano, vice chairman of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, spoke before City Council on Wednesday about the importance of parks and recreation and what could be lost if funding is reappropriated. Parks provide a sense of place, well-being and community, Savastano said, something people in Durango cherish.
Parks also promote economic activity, he said. Homes next to parks have higher property values, and people who come to Durango to recreate often spend money at local businesses.
“They’re not merely a nice-to-have luxury. Parks and recreation are a crucial part of what makes a city, town or county a vibrant and prosperous place,” Savastano said.
Brian Blanchard, a Durango resident who also spoke before City Council on Wednesday, said he supports parks and recreation because so many people move here for it.
“I would encourage you not to touch the parks and rec money,” Blanchard said. “I would encourage you to increase parks and rec money because that is where the money will come from.”
Andy Corra, another Durango resident who spoke Wednesday, said he lobbied for the 2005 and 2015 dedicated parks and recreation sales tax measures because he saw them as a long-term investment in the community. He suggested the council defer some projects and give voters some choice in how those dedicated funds are spent.
“I think if we show the citizens that we have scoured the budget, that we are looking to reallocate where we can and make the minimal take and have the minimal ask for a tax increase, then we have a possibility of that passing,” Corra said.
bhauff@durangoherald.com
