During the financial crisis of 2008, the City of Durango had to cut funding to our cultural organizations. Fourteen percent of the proposed lodgers tax will be dedicated to arts and culture.

With this funding, our local cultural nonprofit organizations, facilities and events can do even more to increase our residents’ quality of life. Every community has roads and sidewalks, but the ones you would want to live in have a vibrant arts and culture scene.

The lodgers tax also will fund transit, which helps alleviate the parking downtown and is vital to many of our community members for essential travel needs. Fifty-five percent will go to sustainable tourism marketing, to flatten and manage the tourism curve by targeting additional business in the off seasons, when so many of our local businesses need more revenue to keep their workforce employed.

I was on the stakeholder committee to establish the Durango Creative District, which is the umbrella organization for our cultural organizations. I was also on the stakeholder committee that worked with the city to propose the lodgers tax increase, served as the founding President of the Creative District board, and continue to serve on the volunteer board.

From the broad array of Durango’s cultural organizations, I ask for your support with a “Yes” vote on the lodgers tax ballot question 1-A. Learn more through the website: https://tourismfundsdurango.com/.

Bill Carver

Durango