City ponders open space tax
Tax to fund open space, parks and trails may land on April ballot

A cyclist takes advantage of warm weather in Horse Gulch last fall. The popular recreation area east of Durango could be one beneficiary of a push to ask voters to increase sales tax for open space, parks and trails./Photo by Todd Newcomer.

by Will Sands

An additional half cent at the cash register could add up to big dollars for Durango open space, parks and trails. City officials are currently considering whether to ask voters to increase local sales tax by .5 percent. The jump could raise as much $2.6 million for open space, parks and trails in 2005 and with projected increases in sales and inflation, $104 million by 2005.

The idea to increase sales tax to benefit open space, parks and trails dates back to last spring. At that time, the city conducted a survey of residents. "The survey we did last spring was overwhelmingly positive in support of a tax increase for open space, parks and trails," said Durango City Council member Virginia Castro.

In July, the council considered whether to put the question to voters during the Nov. election. However, timing became a critical issue, particularly with the Responsible Growth Initiative already dominating local attention spans. As a result, the sales tax increase went on the back burner.

"There were some council members who felt that the November ballot was just coming too quickly and by delaying it until April, we'd be able to address any concerns" said Castro. "Personally, I would have been happy to see it on the November ballot. I'll be just as happy to see it in April."

Whether the rest of the council will be happy to see the issue on the April ballot will be determined in coming weeks. The details of any potential sales tax increase also have yet to be resolved. On the one hand, the city has studied the potential of raising sales tax by one-half cent on each dollar and putting the proceeds entirely toward open space, parks and trails. On the other, it's given consideration to splitting the funds between open space, parks and trails and other municipal capital projects.

"The council is considering several different combinations," said Cathy Metz, director of parks and recreation. "We'll see how it unfolds over the next few weeks."

Whatever the combination, many believe that permanent funding for open space, parks and trails is not only necessary, it's needed as soon as possible. Bill Manning, Trails 2000 executive director and member of the city's Open Space Advisory Board, commented, "It's timely because of how land's become so much more valuable. We need to work quickly if we want to do our best with open space preservation."

Sarah Gage, a concerned citizen, is spearheading a petition drive in hopes of demonstrating popular support for a boost in sales tax. She explained that the sooner such an initiative can land on the ballot the better.

"The open space is not going to last that much longer," Gage said. "I think we need to get out there and preserve the areas that we can while we still can."

Manning went on to explain that the Open Space Advisory Board has spent a great deal of time investigating the best potential funding sources and eventually settled on asking the voters to approve an increase in sales tax. "We started talking early on about the need for money, and big money, to purchase properties from willing sellers," he said. "We did a lot of homework and the thing that makes the most sense to us is going to the city voters and asking them to institute an additional half cent in sales tax."

The Durango City Council is considering whether to ask voters to approve a sales tax hike for the sake of vistas like this one./Photo by Todd Newcomer.

Manning went on to explain that the Open Space Advisory Board has spent a great deal of time investigating the best potential funding sources and eventually settled on asking the voters to approve an increase in sales tax. "We started talking early on about the need for money, and big money, to purchase properties from willing sellers," he said. "We did a lot of homework and the thing that makes the most sense to us is going to the city voters and asking them to institute an additional half cent in sales tax."

A half-cent increase in sale tax would generate nearly $3 million in its first year alone, and that money could be leveraged into even bigger dollars with the help of grants. Manning referenced the 176-acre Jacob's Cliffs parcel on Animas Mountain that the city is currently working to acquire and said that the price-tag on that parcel is evidence of the need for broad resources.

"The Jacob's Cliffs open space purchase that looks likely is a multi-million dollar acquisition for 176 acres," Manning said. "That's just one example of how much money it costs to acquire property in this day and age. When you start talking about city parks and ballfields, it gets even pricier."

The Open Space Advisory Board has identified several types of property within Durango deemed worthy of preservation. Scott Graham, chair of the board, explained that they are: greensheds along the river; viewsheds including ridge-tops; areas that support wildlife; and recreational amenities. One local area that boasts several of these characteristics and is partly privately owned is Horse Gulch, located due east of Durango.

"One that's really looming out there is Horse Gulch," Graham said. "With the impending development of Grandview, Horse Gulch has basically become something that will be in the middle of Durango. Over the long-term, it will be as valuable to Durango as Central Park is to New York City."

Manning concurred, saying, "I'm really jazzed about the possibility of preserving some more of Horse Gulch. So many people already use Horse Gulch and the trails up there."

While Horse Gulch might be an attractive option for preservation, Manning and Graham agreed that the most vital component of any transaction is a willing seller.

"There are many areas that have been identified that are attractive for open space preservation," Manning said. "But that doesn't mean that the owners of those properties would all be willing sellers."

Graham concurred, saying, "We can only talk about different things to the extent that we have landowners that are willing to listen."

However, the availability of funding might also be a crucial step toward getting landowners to listen. "You can talk until you're blue in the face about preserving open space and developing parks and trails, but unless you have a funding source, there's not a lot you can do," Graham said in closing. "You have to fund these things or they won't happen."