City Council Budget Workshop

By Chadwick Bowman

FORT COLLINS, Colo. —The Fort Collins City Council met Tuesday evening to discuss the future of Fort Collins governmental funded entities, controversial legislation being voted on by citizens, and the difficulties the city faces amidst the trying economy.

“In addition to the basic city services,” said Wade Troxell, city councilmember, “I think in these tough economic times, one of the things we should be doing is creating an environmental job growth.

The work session focused on the budget, specifically the economic health of the city as well as managing a high performing government

In order to fund the cities unfunded and underfunded entities, the community members will be voting on a proposed sales tax increase known as 2B on the November ballot. It would increase sales tax .85 percent on the dollar.

Keep Fort Collins Great, the organization backing the proposal, says on their website that the tax increase can help fund major projects that would otherwise be ignored.

“We face destruction of our infrastructure - streets, bridges, buildings - if we do not resume regular maintenance.”

The concern is that whether the increase sales tax will motivate shoppers to take their business elsewhere, out of Fort Collins. Critics also say that the increase is too much to ask from residents and that the city should be doing more to cut, and find funding elsewhere.

Keep Fort Collins Great also threatens the voters that if 2B is not passed, it creates more pressure on the city council to again tighten budgets.

“If this measure does not pass, then some big decisions will have to be made.” Keep Fort Collins Great says on their website.

Mayor Doug Hutchinson commended the council for the work that they have done thus far on the budget.

“Most of those things are very frustrating to have to have some of these things reduced.” Hutchinson said. “What we’ve heard is good rational as far as prioritization goes.”

The council also discussed city duties such as mail service that can be delegated out to the private sector.

City Manager Darin Attenberry said that the private sector is always a viable option, but only if they can be more efficient and complete the tasks effectively at cost.

The 2011 budget will be voted on by city council members in April.