Even with the pandemic, Durango and surrounding areas were inundated with visitors this year. They packed our trails and campgrounds beyond capacity. They clogged our roads and taxed our infrastructure.
A number of them bought properties, driving housing costs even further beyond what is affordable for working-class residents. Yes, restaurants had a really bad year, but that was due to occupancy restrictions, not lack of tourists.
Why in the world should we approve a tax increase where most of the revenue will be used to market Durango to bring in even more people? Durango has been discovered. The tourists are going to come. Economic growth is going to happen. We don’t need to add steroids.
Please vote no to increasing the lodgers’ tax for the selling of Durango.
Peter and Julie ButlerDurango
