To help all of you during this political season, we will get down to fundamentals, as a public service.
Trustee petition packets are due to be turned in, at the end of February.
The election is April 1, 2008… (Fools Day).
The Town of Estes Park was incorporated as a Statutory Town in 1917. This constitutional status was conferred on all towns in Colorado initially, until the local populace could determine local governmental needs. Denver was the initial Home Ruled Community in Colorado; the Denver electorate quickly understood the advantages of controlling their own community politics, services, and taxing structures.
Estes Park is a Statutory Community; as the citizens have not yet determined the need to be responsible for the operation of their own community. We keep pointing out the fact that town hall is answerable to the state legislature only, not the local electorate. Hence all the legal battles…you have a staff attorney making legal determinations that service the town staff schemes…and then it becomes the electorate’s responsibility to prove the legal or illegal merits. This is a very expensive and time consuming process, using your tax money against you, to break the law. They can out last you, out spend you, because quite frankly…what else do they have to do?
It is about the control of the money (30 MILLION annually). Staff likes spending the money any way they want. No bids required…negotiations in executive session…no explanation required…what kind of leakage? Who knows? What kind of over site? It is any ones guess. Hire your wife, son, buddy,, it’s all good.
Land use and development, no problem, they will sit back…access the world wide web playing games…until you run out of gas on the immediate issue, and then it will be business as usual.
Yes, it is exactly that, the citizens…verses…the town’s staff, for control of community funds. So there you have it, who will your elected officials represent…your needs or town staff needs?
Trustee petition packets are due to be turned in, at the end of February.
The election is April 1, 2008… (Fools Day).
The Town of Estes Park was incorporated as a Statutory Town in 1917. This constitutional status was conferred on all towns in Colorado initially, until the local populace could determine local governmental needs. Denver was the initial Home Ruled Community in Colorado; the Denver electorate quickly understood the advantages of controlling their own community politics, services, and taxing structures.
Estes Park is a Statutory Community; as the citizens have not yet determined the need to be responsible for the operation of their own community. We keep pointing out the fact that town hall is answerable to the state legislature only, not the local electorate. Hence all the legal battles…you have a staff attorney making legal determinations that service the town staff schemes…and then it becomes the electorate’s responsibility to prove the legal or illegal merits. This is a very expensive and time consuming process, using your tax money against you, to break the law. They can out last you, out spend you, because quite frankly…what else do they have to do?
It is about the control of the money (30 MILLION annually). Staff likes spending the money any way they want. No bids required…negotiations in executive session…no explanation required…what kind of leakage? Who knows? What kind of over site? It is any ones guess. Hire your wife, son, buddy,, it’s all good.
Land use and development, no problem, they will sit back…access the world wide web playing games…until you run out of gas on the immediate issue, and then it will be business as usual.
Yes, it is exactly that, the citizens…verses…the town’s staff, for control of community funds. So there you have it, who will your elected officials represent…your needs or town staff needs?
The wind, stop the wind!!!
