The Durango City Council and the La Plata County Commission reached no decision Tuesday on a funding mechanism for an airport terminal expansion, though both parties agreed that a ballot item on the topic should not wait until 2017.
But they didn’t decide whether to seek a property tax increase or sales tax increase to produce about $40 million to expand the Durango-La Plata County Airport.
A matching Federal Aviation Administration grant could cover the rest of the cost.
Still torn on how voters would digest either tax proposal, local officials tentatively set a March 1 meeting to again examine the matter.
Leaning in favor of a property tax, Councilor Sweetie Marbury said a sales tax levy that pushes sales tax past 8 percent will “go down in flames.” Marbury also said reliance on sales tax revenue is unstable if another Great Recession occurred, but other officials pointed out that property tax revenues – which are suffering as a result of declining natural gas production – are not immune to economic blows, either.
Commissioner Julie Westendorff said the county is taking its cues from the city on the airport, but the county is moving forward with its own ballot item to address funding for roads and bridges.
The county has been carefully navigating how to present ballot items to voters in the upcoming election, particularly after last year’s proposed 2.4 mill levy increase failed at the polls.
As representatives weighed the merits of presenting ballot measures in 2017 versus 2016, they have cited the importance of educating the public on road and bridge needs as well as airport needs, to heighten the chances of approval.
Airport Director Kip Turner warned against postponing ballot measure decisions.
“The coach gives a halftime pep talk,” he said. “If they kick it to another Friday night, the whole talk has to start over. The momentum is there now.”
jpace@durangoherald.com
