To the best of my knowledge, the proponents and the city of Durango got what they wanted. Now, the city government wants to extend this unfair tax for no specific purpose but a suggested list of administrative wish-list projects. (“Something for everyone,” says the mayor.)

Since 1999, we who do not live in the city of Durango have helped the city achieve its goal. At the same time, we have been paying for our satellite community recreation facilities through home-owners’ fees and assessments. Developments that have built and maintained recreation facilities such as trails, club houses, playgrounds, parks, tennis courts, fishery maintenance and lake swimming. With no assistance from the sales tax, we have paid every day when shopping in the city limits. We did not get to vote on this issue at the time, so it is time for us to stop paying for something that the majority do not use – the recreation center or the river trail. The city of Durango has the resources to manage and operate its existing facilities and programs. It has demonstrated its ability to acquire grants from Great Outdoors Colorado to fund its recreation and open-space wish list.

The city should let this tax sunset and leave the county consumers – who buy locally – out of the picture, just as the communities of Bayfield, Ignacio and the Southern Utes do.

This tax should not be continued.

Dalph Kuss

Durango