issues in longmont
High Costs
This year in the midst of soaring property taxes and high inflation, the Longmont City Council has added 4 new taxes as propositions to the ballot.
These taxes add to your cost of living.
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I believe YOU can choose where best to spend your dollars. If YOU would like a Performing Arts Event Center then you and those who agree, should purchase the property and build one. The same is true for indoor recreation.
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Voting for amenities is like two wolves and a sheep voting on what's for dinner.
Of course, our population wants to have these services, but it is not the role of government to compete with private enterprise and it adds to our high cost of living in Longmont.
Homelessness
Homelessness is an issue in Longmont that can also be handled by free markets.
Boarding house rooms for those in transition are fully rented in Longmont but new ones are not on the horizon. Regulations should be written so these places can be built and rented profitably.
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The city itself should properly spend public dollars on police in Longmont. Vagrancy often comes with illegal activity like drug use, littering and public elimination. By fully funding the Longmont police who are equipped to handle quality-of-life laws we will make a better Longmont benefitting everyone.
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Mental health is a problem throughout the country and can result in homelessness. This is an area of growth for those whose priorities include helping people in need. New and current charities and churches along with doctors and counselors with an interest in this business can set up shop.
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So many have so much compassion yet cannot help because money must instead be spent on taxes and fees for other people's priorities.
Energy
Longmont will not be carbon free by 2030 while maintaining the current level of service at pricing people can afford.
2030 is an artificial deadline created by our city council. Platte River Power has suggested that we need to aim for net zero carbon emissions. Even this includes a shutdown of the incredibly clean Rawhide 1 coal fired plant.
As energy becomes more expensive and unreliable in Longmont businesses will shut and people will leave. I wonder if that's the end goal for those insisting on zero carbon. Big picture - the free market can best supply us with clean, efficient and affordable energy.
Growth
Colorado is a popular state and Longmont is an ideal location.
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It has become too expensive to live here because of the restricted growth in Longmont and Boulder County. Our children and grandchildren cannot afford homes here and are moving east to Frederick or Firestone.
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Once again I look to the free market for answers. Most of us, especially existing businesses recognize there is no need for special incentives to appeal to outside interests. Our people, our location, our current level of services are reasons to choose Longmont.
Yet the city likes to use taxpayer incentives to invite new and big business here to increase the tax base. When businesses come, housing must follow. This means development.
We are a city of 100,000 people which is a tough growth spurt for most of us. If our market can
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handle apartments, and
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we do not give special tax incentives, and
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they work within our zoning rules,
then more apartments are welcome.
Proper Role of Government
I believe our local government should provide police/fire services, utilities, maintain our roads and because I am practical, maintain the services that exist right now.
Our city staff is amazing.
I would ask the city to reinvest in the emergency siren system that used to be available to us especially during tornado season.
Disasters do occur and having a warning system that is not reliant on an unreliable grid of electricity is important.
Longmont itself
Our current city council often looks to Boulder, to Louisville, to Lafayette to see how they want to make changes here.
Longmont is not Boulder, or Louisville, or Lafayette.
I believe we have the knowledge and the experience to make the best decisions for Longmont. This includes not creating a city-wide minimum wage to match Boulder.
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Repercussions of such decisions often are late in coming. I hope people can see the connections between high minimum wages and closed businesses as being connected.
Believing in the Power of Free Markets
As a candidate for mayor in Longmont, I believe in the people here and know that staying out of their way while maintaining legitimate city services like police protection, and road maintenance will free the spirit of those so inclined to create what they want to see in Longmont. You can create a thriving economy that benefits everyone. Join me in this vision for Longmont's future!
