I took my parents up on their suggestion to attend the Pie and Candidates meeting. Thank you to those who organized the event. It was a very informative evening, and there was a great selection of delicious pies.

It was interesting to see all four city council candidates in person and to listen to them answer questions. The questions, posed by Durango residents, covered a wide range of Durango’s current issues: housing, recreation, growth, Lake Nighthorse, the trolley, plans for the airport, sewer-system upgrades, etc. It was a little surprising to discover how much impact City Council decisions have on my everyday life.

One major question stood out: Someone asked if the current council should have spent lees time on issues such as the bag tax and chickens and more time on bigger issues, such as the need to upgrade our sewer plant. Neither candidate running for re-election suggested that they should actually have spent more time on these bigger issues.

And, after the meeting, I learned that the current city council decided to upgrade the sewer plant without looking at other options, such as building a new plant in a different location. The improvements to the current plant could cost more than $50 million.

I would expect the City Council to do more research to make sure the city is getting the best value for our tax dollars.

The council recently voted to raise water and sewer rates to pay for these improvements. Last month, my bill was $30 more than it was for the same month last year. I can’t even imagine how expensive it will be this summer when I am watering my vegetable garden! I would feel better about the higher costs if I had more confidence in their decisions.

David McHenry says infrastructure must be a priority, the necessary upgrades are going to be expensive, and the city needs to treat tax dollars like real money. After listening to the candidates, I have decided to vote for David McHenry.

Stephanie Garlick

Durango