What did your hair look like in 1982? That year was the last time the city of Durango asked for a property tax increase. On Oct. 15, ballots will drop for our consideration of a “Back to Basics” increase for our hometown.
I’m voting in support of 2A for the police department and for street infrastructure. What do we get for our vote? Durango will be able to accommodate – through design, construction, operations and maintenance – a new police station, fire district contract of services, police body cameras, code enforcement and street improvements.
Alleys, storm drains, curbs, gutters, sidewalks and street maintenance all need our help with a YES vote on 2A. It takes $2 million a year just to maintain the streets. The police station, a car dealership building remodeled in 1970, is land-locked and cannot grow to accommodate the needs of the officers.
At the police station, closets have become offices. It is a maze of walls and doors that is inefficient and ineffective. A YES vote on the two issues of a police station and the street infrastructure will be an investment in the future of our hometown.
I believe in the voters of Durango! The Durango City Council listened to the voices of people who said to maintain what we have. The council listened to the voices which said to use a combination of property tax and sales tax to invest in the future of our city.
An increase of .55 percent in sales tax will be paid by tourists as well as locals to support the street infrastructure. Farmington is raising their sales tax to support their infrastructure. Using my assessed property value, I will pay $13 more per month for a police station, fire protection, street infrastructure and code enforcement.
Back to Basics will support the officers who protect and serve our community and provide for street infrastructure. Body cameras protect the public and the officers. Without improvements to streets, they begin to fail. ADA-compliant ramps will be built in conjunction with reconstruction and overlay projects. Street projects are waiting for our vote. Streets and the police are budgeted from the current sales tax dollars.
The 416 Fire, internet sales and shopping out of town have contributed to there not being enough money to begin the one-street capital project for 2018 on Thomas Avenue. The bids for Thomas Avenue were too high and the project was shelved.
Voting YES on 2A will mean projects on North College Drive, Animas View Drive, Junction Creek Road, Clovis Drive, Sawmill Road, Thomas Drive, Turner Drive, Suttle Street, Sanborn, 9th Street, Florida Road, Confluence, Weston, 14th Street, 17th Street, Narrow Gauge Avenue, Kennebec Court, Forest Avenue and Columbine Drive will be a reality. For a full project list by project type, see www.Durangogov.org/Streetindex.
Vote YES on 2A and invest in our hometown!
Sweetie Marbury is the mayor of Durango, a position rotating among members of City Council. Reach her at SweetieMarbury@DurangoGov.org.
