Durango resident and former director of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, Cathy Metz, is wasting no time promoting a ballot initiative to extend the city’s 2005 half-cent sales tax.
As of Jan. 28, Opt in Durango, a political committee for ballot measure 2A, the sales tax extension, had $7,248.29 in cash on hand. The committee started with $423.84 and raised $6,850 through contributions since November, including from Moira Compton, executive director of the Durango Mesa Park Foundation; Michael Rendon, a sociology professor at Fort Lewis College; Max Pinnacle; and $5,000 from Jane and Marc Katz.
So far, it has spent $25.55, according to the finance report filed with the city clerk’s office.
Should Durango voters approve reauthorization of the sales tax, the tax would be extended for 30 years into 2056 to raise money for parks, open space and trails maintenance and acquisition, and for capital projects, primarily construction and rehabilitation of the historic high school at 201 E. 12th St. The city has its sights on the building and the former Big Picture High School building next door for a new joint city hall and police station.
Opt in Durango has launched a website, opt-indurango.info, that hosts facts and questions, the ballot text, and arguments favoring the sales tax extension.
In advocating for the sales tax extension, Metz has said misinformation, including the false notion the ballot measure would increase the half-cent sales tax if passed, was making rounds through Durango and on social media. Opt in Durango was established to set the record straight and to inform residents of the benefits of extending the sales tax at its current rate.
“It’s been very positive,” she said of her conversations with residents. “People are very excited about the reauthorization of the tax for open space, parks and trails that was originally a part of the 2005 question as well.”
She said residents she’s talked to are looking forward to using 2005 sales tax revenues for developing Durango Mesa Park, completing the SMART 160 Trail connecting downtown Durango to Three Springs, and making Animas River improvements.
Misinformation and misconceptions about what the ballot measure proposes are not as abundant now that the ballot question language has been finalized.
She said she is in conversations with residents, including one man in Three Springs, about organizing community forums or events to discuss the sales tax ballot measure. Postcard mailers and yard signs supporting 2A are being planned.
Metz served as director of Durango Parks and Recreation for 25 years, including when the 2005 sales tax was originally authorized. She said open space preservation and parks and trails development is important for Durango, and the preservation made possible by the 2005 sales tax has changed Durango for the better.
The city has preserved land at Horse Gulch, Dalla Mountain Park, and Oxbow Park and Preserve; developed in-stream improvements at Whitewater Park, including Smelter Rapids, in Santa Rita Park; opened Lake Nighthorse for recreation; and secured a permanent water right on the Animas River for boating, she said.
“If you look at what the tax has done for the community as a whole, there really isn’t any amenity that doesn’t touch people in Durango somehow, where they enjoy the benefit of living in our wonderful community because of what this tax has allowed us to do over many years,” she said.
The five candidates seeking election to Durango City Council are also in the midst of fundraising efforts, but they haven’t raised anywhere near as much as ballot measure 2A.
Candidates Olivier Bosmans and Shirley Gonzales reported zero campaign contributions for the first reporting period.
Candidate Jessika Buell reported starting with $6.41 on hand and receiving $600 in contributions from four residents with no expenditures as of Jan. 31.
Candidate Charles “Chris” Elias reported a single contribution from himself to his campaign for $3,000.
Candidate Kip Koso reported a monetary contribution of $1,500, a nonmonetary contribution valued at $1,500, and a single expenditure of $300 for an Adobe Graphics subscription.
Durango’s elections will be held on April 1. City Clerk Faye Harmer said the first campaign finance reporting deadline was Jan. 31. The next deadline is March 3, followed by March 17, March 28 and May 1.
cburney@durangoherald.com
A previous version of this story identified the employers of certain contributors to the Opt In Durango political committee, but not the contributors themselves.
