In 2005, the residents of Durango approved adding one-half cent to the city sales tax, a tax based on consumer spending and spread among residents and visitors.
The benefits flowing from this act of foresight and confidence in our community have been enormous – among them, an award-winning library, a nationally recognized park system and natural lands preservation.
These are just a fraction of the many city amenities derived from this tax that many of us take for granted. Notice a common thread among these assets? They bring us together, in community, something we need more than ever.
Twenty years later, that hardworking one-half cent tax will disappear unless we approve its retention on our April 1 ballot.
To be clear, this is not a new tax; it retains and extends the tax that has been in place for the past 20 years. On the city’s April ballot, residents will be asked to approve Ballot Issue 2A to retain this one-half cent sales tax for the next 30 years. The obvious and central question is, what will the city do with these funds?
By supporting Ballot Issue 2A, you are investing in safety, parks and community. In 2005, the dedicated one-half cent sales tax enhanced the quality of life in Durango, reinforcing the reason we live here.
We treasure our quality of life, but we must also maintain it and, where possible, improve on it.
This earmarked, dedicated tax has, and can continue, to benefit people across all generations, to span all income levels and to guarantee Durango’s future quality of life.
It would be difficult to imagine Durango without the benefits of the existing sales tax that financed the construction of the Durango Public Library and redeveloped Florida Road to include bikeways and center islands.
The other half of the dedicated tax proceeds funded multiple parks, open space and trail projects including: preserving open space in Horse Gulch, Dalla Mountain Park and Oxbow Park and Preserve; improving Durango’s natural surface trail system; purchasing Buckley Park; enhancing the Whitewater Park including Smelter Rapids, enabling a permanent water right on the Animas River for boating; opening recreation at Lake Nighthorse with necessary improvements; developing Smith Sports Complex, tennis courts and upgraded softball facilities at Fort Lewis College; and developing the SMART 160 Trail and connections to the Animas River Trail.
Funding for parks, open space and trails would include ongoing maintenance of existing assets as well as future projects such as developing Durango Mesa Park, establishing a community park in Three Springs, enhancing the Animas River, and extending the Animas River Trail and SMART 160 Trail.
Reauthorizing the one-half cent sales tax also would fund the development of a new city hall and police station to promote public safety and facilitate city governance.
The benefits of a new city hall, as a single campus adjacent to Buckley Park integrating city operations previously housed in separate buildings, include: easier community access and inviting spaces, which encourages public participation in decisions that impact us now and in the future; accessible public restrooms also servicing Buckley Park; adequate on-site parking; and preserving the historic facade of the former Durango School District 9-R administration building and keeping this iconic structure in the public domain.
The benefits of a new police facility would improve public safety services and enable officers to continue to meet today’s demanding law enforcement standards; provide functional workspaces to conduct operations efficiently and professionally for current staff, and provide room for growth; and provide security enhancements to safely handle detainees, evidence storage, and promote recruitment and retention of our police force.
You may hear about the things – the buildings, parks and trails – this reauthorized tax will build and maintain. But really, it is about people, it is about you, and it is about building and sharing assets that bring a community together.
Cathy Metz is a 29-year resident of Durango and served for 25 years as the city of Durango’s Parks and Recreation director. She writes on behalf of Citizens for OPT-In Durango. Visit opt-indurango.info for more information.
