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Our civic leaders would fare better convincing us to fund upgrades to local infrastructure such as public safety and schools if they just took the time to see it as we do. In most folk’s households, if something is needed or desired we don’t run to our employers and demand a raise, we examine how we can tighten the belt somewhere or perhaps we sell an asset that’s not as important to us as the new thing we want. Some of us actually predict the need far enough in advance and start saving for it.
My suggestion is for the city to attack the idea from a few more angles than just a tax increase. I don’t think the public needs to be sold on the need, we know how old and inadequate these facilities are. What we need to be sold on is the financing. If the city explained to the taxpayers that the money needed was to come a variety of sources and not just a tax increase we might applaud them for their effort. The city could for instance, as part of their finance package propose some of the following ideas to the citizens as part of a comprehensive package to raise money for new infrastructure:
Sell off the grass strip at 1st and North that masquerades as some sort of park. Ed Bozarth has wanted this lawn for a long time. Sell it!
Mesa State may want to expand their campus into Lincoln Park, maybe they want the golf course. Sell it!
Many of our public schools sit on large tracts of undeveloped land. Sell off what’s not needed and put the proceeds towards new construction there.
Our lower downtown parks have been lost. Sell them!
Where are impact fees from energy development? Public safety and schools should be first in line as these areas are impacted greatly by increased population.
Lastly don’t vote yourself or accept a salary increase until you have actually done something of value in your elected office or appointed position.
Show us you have the leadership to address these infrastructure issues with something more creative more than just a tax increase. Do that and we won’t wince when you want to put your name on a plaque somewhere.
RON WILSON
Grand Junction
2 Responses to “City needs to plan for growth and use its assets to pay for it”
Posted July 14th, 2008 at 3:56 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
Here’s an idea that the public officials could sell me on real easy. Let’s raise the money to buy the Greyhound bus depot and move it to a new location outside the city of Grand Junction, preferably right on the edge of the county line, somewhere, and make sure there is plenty of space in the new facility for outreach services and a homeless shelter. We get our parks back, and if we locate a police substation in the same facility, think of the money we could save on law enforcement and detox.
Don’t you just love it when a plan comes together?
Posted July 21st, 2008 at 11:36 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
Mr. Wilson might do well to ask questions at the City level regarding some of his ideas for raising funds. For example:
1. The city charter requires the the voters to approve the sale or change to city land such as parks. The sale of the “grass strip at 1st and North”, AKA Lilac Park, was put to the electorate twice and disapproved. The same issues will arise with any other park area unless the charter is amended in some way, which would likely require another vote of the people.
2. In the case of Lincoln Park and the Golf Course, I believe that there are agreements in place with the Veterans’ Administration and the Moyer family, who donated the land for the park, that would prevent the sale of this land for financial gain.
3. The bigger issues transcend infrastructure, and into the fundamental way the city operates in relationship to its’ neighbors.
Mr. Wilson is on the right track, but there are places where cost savings can be realized that benefit residents and non-residents alike. It takes asking the questions, sweating the details, and getting involved to effect substantive change in many of these areas.
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