The chief misrepresentation has been debunked by County Clerk Tiffany Parker: “the bag fee isn’t a ‘tax’ under TABOR.” Space does not allow us to address every other assertion, but we must refute allegations of impropriety that call into question the integrity of the City Council.

Rather than a manifestation of personal agendas or a City Council initiative, checkout-bag discussions originated in citizen petitions. Listing signatures of some 800 La Plata County residents, the petitions did not have to meet strict ballot initiative criteria in order to merit City Council consideration.

Responding to hundreds of its constituents, the 2011 council reviewed evidence on checkout-bag ordinances elsewhere and revised the plastic bag ban proposal to incorporate competing concerns. The final compromise ordinance is representative of residents’ interests and is an appropriate step toward a sustainable low-waste future for Durango.

We ran for office and were elected in large part based on our experience in and commitment to environmental stewardship. Mayor White left the Board of the Sustainability Alliance of Southwest Colorado before running for City Council. Waste reduction was a central element of the sustainability theme of his 2011 City Council campaign. The checkout-bag ordinance aligns with this goal.

During his 2013 City Council campaign, Councilor Brookie was forthright about his support for the checkout-bag ordinance. Having voted in favor, he continues to support the campaign for voter confirmation of the ordinance. The council encourages residents to read the FAQs developed by city staff on durangogov.org that simply summarize the ordinance, neither promoting nor opposing it.

We were the leading vote-getters in the last two elections. We are indeed being responsive to and representative of the interests of our constituents as advocates for final passage of the checkout-bag ordinance on Nov. 5.

Dick White and Dean Brookie

Durango