In the Mayoral race we had a candidate who was recalled (because some of the residents were unhappy with the way the Town Council was working with a developer) versus a newly instilled replacement (who was elected by those that didn’t like the way the Town Council was working with that developer.)

Being a mayor or a member of the Town Council is like being a parent. Sometimes tough love is necessary. Dillon can linger with eyesore, unfinished foundations, or move forward for the benefit for all.

Dillon, like any mountain town, is heavily dependent on the general sales tax. “Colorado local governments depend nearly three times more heavily on the general sales tax” than their national counterparts, according to Bell Policy Center. Simply put, Dillon needs growth. That portion of Dillon residents that just want to “keep things the same” doesn’t spend enough money for the town to generate adequate sales tax to pay the bills. Without commerce and growth, the town will be forced to further cut services and/or raise taxes. “Colorado state and local tax systems [already] worsen income inequality. The lower your income, the higher your effective tax rate,” according to Bell. So a vote to broadly limit growth in Dillon is a vote to raise taxes, further income inequality, and ironically, hurt the very people that are anti-growth.

Dillon has chased business away. A once vibrant town is now ripe for tax increases to pay the bills.

Dillon should have a mayor that will retain a small-town identity by threading the needle between not enough growth and too much growth, positioning the town for the next several decades with prosperity and quality of life for all.