The Estes Parkian has poured over the Estes Park comprehensive master plan, town ordinances, town practices, political speeches and have yet to discover the plan that unites the Estes Valley.
It is a grand mystery why the town does not want all those unincorporated developments that envelope Estes Park actually a part of Estes Park. The mayor appoints citizens of unincorporated Larimer County to town commissions and boards. We provide services, water, electric, police, fire, as far as the eye can see. So what’s the political poop, do we not want them or do they not want us?
Shouldn’t Estes Park elected town leaders work to unite the valley, instead of divide it further? That what this fire district is doing. Do we really need one more elected board that the town trustees will eventually war with? Isn’t this getting a little bit out of hand, one more elected group of officials? Shouldn’t we be simplifying our local government not gumming the wheels with more politics?
Do I get to vote on this, who is accountable for what, who do I call to get action, what’s mine – yours – ours?
On the surface it seems reasonable to say okay the town wants (they have not demonstrated a need) more money for a department of the town and what would be the harm in asking for a little contribution from the neighbors that have been feeding off of the good nature of the town?
It’s when you start looking at the details that one questions the wisdom of all those involved.
Two years ago the town trustees asked its citizens to turn a town department into a regional district, create a fire district to change funding from the general fund of the town to a special additional tax and Estes Park turned that policy change down . The citizens of Estes Park voted to keep the fire department a town department, funded by the town’s general fund, under the control of their elected representatives, the trustees.
Did your town mayor listen to you or does he know better that you? Did he listen to your vote Estes Park?
The mayor and the town administrator, not giving up the notion of feeding the town’s ample general fund, threatened unincorporated Larimer County’s access to town owned emergency services if they do not form a fire district and give them the money.
It’s pretty easy to see what the town is up to it is simply about more money, not expanded services, not valley unity, not a better fire department, more money.
You really have to question the home owner associations in unincorporated Larimer county that are all excited to impose a tax on themselves for what? What are you getting for your money? No more threats from the school yard bully, go ahead and give the bully your milk money, but what are you really getting in return a wink and a nod and a promise and yet one more board to elect.
You people are being led on a fool’s errand. Have you hired your own legal advisors to examine the details of what you are entering into and who you are getting advice from? Let me see if I have got this right; the Mayor of Estes Park, the town administrator of Estes Park, the fire chief of Estes Park and most probably the towns’ attorney all are leading your parade. Again let me repeat myself, did you hire your own independent legal advisors to help you set up your district? Or did you just go to the county judge to get on the ballot?
The mayors own constituency turned him down two years ago at the ballot box for a fire district, so this time he eliminated his own constituency from the political equation and you want to partner up with him. So who are you going to call when there is an issue with fire protection in the future; the mayor, the fire chief, your fire district elected official or your home owners association?
Can the mayor of Estes Park accomplish something administratively that he was refused legislatively by his own constituency? If the surrounding areas create a new fire district are you prepared to build your own infrastructure, purchase your own trucks and build your own stations? The devil is in the details and you have reacted emotionally to a threat, understandable, but unwise to trust the town’s legal acumen. Check the history of the towns attorney in that regard it is scary.
This will be interesting to see how the ballot will be handled. If you live in Estes Park you will be voting on the School District Bond issue, but you will not be voting on the Fire district issue? If you live in unincorporated Larimer County you get to vote on them both.Do you live outside the school district and live within the proposed fire district? Good luck with that one!
By the way.
Estes Park citizens will not get to vote on an issue effecting a town department.
Only in Estes Park!
It is a grand mystery why the town does not want all those unincorporated developments that envelope Estes Park actually a part of Estes Park. The mayor appoints citizens of unincorporated Larimer County to town commissions and boards. We provide services, water, electric, police, fire, as far as the eye can see. So what’s the political poop, do we not want them or do they not want us?
Shouldn’t Estes Park elected town leaders work to unite the valley, instead of divide it further? That what this fire district is doing. Do we really need one more elected board that the town trustees will eventually war with? Isn’t this getting a little bit out of hand, one more elected group of officials? Shouldn’t we be simplifying our local government not gumming the wheels with more politics?
Do I get to vote on this, who is accountable for what, who do I call to get action, what’s mine – yours – ours?
On the surface it seems reasonable to say okay the town wants (they have not demonstrated a need) more money for a department of the town and what would be the harm in asking for a little contribution from the neighbors that have been feeding off of the good nature of the town?
It’s when you start looking at the details that one questions the wisdom of all those involved.
Two years ago the town trustees asked its citizens to turn a town department into a regional district, create a fire district to change funding from the general fund of the town to a special additional tax and Estes Park turned that policy change down . The citizens of Estes Park voted to keep the fire department a town department, funded by the town’s general fund, under the control of their elected representatives, the trustees.
Did your town mayor listen to you or does he know better that you? Did he listen to your vote Estes Park?
The mayor and the town administrator, not giving up the notion of feeding the town’s ample general fund, threatened unincorporated Larimer County’s access to town owned emergency services if they do not form a fire district and give them the money.
It’s pretty easy to see what the town is up to it is simply about more money, not expanded services, not valley unity, not a better fire department, more money.
You really have to question the home owner associations in unincorporated Larimer county that are all excited to impose a tax on themselves for what? What are you getting for your money? No more threats from the school yard bully, go ahead and give the bully your milk money, but what are you really getting in return a wink and a nod and a promise and yet one more board to elect.
You people are being led on a fool’s errand. Have you hired your own legal advisors to examine the details of what you are entering into and who you are getting advice from? Let me see if I have got this right; the Mayor of Estes Park, the town administrator of Estes Park, the fire chief of Estes Park and most probably the towns’ attorney all are leading your parade. Again let me repeat myself, did you hire your own independent legal advisors to help you set up your district? Or did you just go to the county judge to get on the ballot?
The mayors own constituency turned him down two years ago at the ballot box for a fire district, so this time he eliminated his own constituency from the political equation and you want to partner up with him. So who are you going to call when there is an issue with fire protection in the future; the mayor, the fire chief, your fire district elected official or your home owners association?
Can the mayor of Estes Park accomplish something administratively that he was refused legislatively by his own constituency? If the surrounding areas create a new fire district are you prepared to build your own infrastructure, purchase your own trucks and build your own stations? The devil is in the details and you have reacted emotionally to a threat, understandable, but unwise to trust the town’s legal acumen. Check the history of the towns attorney in that regard it is scary.
This will be interesting to see how the ballot will be handled. If you live in Estes Park you will be voting on the School District Bond issue, but you will not be voting on the Fire district issue? If you live in unincorporated Larimer County you get to vote on them both.Do you live outside the school district and live within the proposed fire district? Good luck with that one!
By the way.
Estes Park citizens will not get to vote on an issue effecting a town department.
Only in Estes Park!
