The need to bring the city’s wastewater treatment works up to date is not in doubt. The problem is City Council’s decision to keep the plant at Santa Rita Park has made this vote a referendum on the plant’s location.
That leaves no other option for those who care about Durango’s future image – and its future residents – but to vote down the ballot issue to fund the fixes.
We can revisit that when there is a better plan in place. For one thing, $68 million is way too much to spend on a plan that ignores one of the public’s fundamental concerns.
The city has considered other options. But the most often mentioned alternative site – Cundiff Park – was dismissed with less investigation than other locations that seem more problematic. Cundiff has a lot going for it. The city already owns it. It is used only as a bicycle track and a place for the city to dump snow. It is not visible from U.S. Highway 550/160. And it is downhill from everywhere it would serve, eliminating the need for pumping.
There are issues, of course, but they have not been sufficiently investigated as to warrant jettisoning Cundiff Park from the list of contenders.
From the alternatives the city-hired consultants examined and the parameters built in, one could imagine that the studies were done in such a way as to validate a forgone conclusion.
That moving the sewer plant will be difficult is understood. But there will never be a cheaper or easier time, and barring some radical change in technology, there will never be better options as for where to put it. That does not mean leaving it in place is the right thing to do. We can do better.
Vote “no” on the city of Durango’s Question 2B.
La Plata County voters have a simple choice in front of them on November’s ballot: If you value safe roads and bridges and recognize the importance of maintenance in keeping costs in line, vote “yes” on La Plata County Question 1A to raise the county’s mill levy. It is a reasonable and measured response to a tough situation.
For years, local taxpayers experienced a huge windfall as taxes on the gas industry paid for much of what county government provided in services and infrastructure. Those days are gone. The price of gas is down and unlikely to rebound any time soon.
Since 2010, La Plata County’s tax revenue has been cut in half – a $15 million loss. Its population, however, has continued to grow. The math is inexorable.
The county has gotten this far because previous boards had the wisdom to set funds aside during the gas boom. But living off savings only goes so far.
If approved, Question 1A will allow a mill levy increase of up to 2.4 mills for road and bridge work. (It affords the commissioners the option of reducing the rate should circumstances require.) That works out to an additional $6.50 per month on a $350,000 home.
And it will sunset in 10 years.
La Plata County’s mill levy has been fixed at 8.5 mills for more than 25 years. That is the fourth lowest rate of any of Colorado’s 64 counties. If Question 1A passes, it will rise to 10.9 mills. The median mill levy for all of Colorado’s counties in 2014 was 20.021.
La Plata County Question 1A is prudent response to an unavoidable circumstance. Vote “yes” on La Plata County Question 1A.
