I’ve been reading Bill Hudson’s metro district articles with absolute horror.
I have been affiliated with the Aspen Springs Metro District for a couple of decades. (I write this as a private citizen as I have not discussed this with the Metro Board.) The metro districts in Archuleta County are a whole different breed of cat from those about which Mr. Hudson is writing.
Each of our local metro districts were formed by a vote of the property owners. Any bonds issued were also subject to the vote of those to be taxed. Property owners were given the opportunity to approve the formation of the districts and the amount of debt authorized.
Metro districts used as a financing mechanism by developers embodies the worst of “taxation without representation”. As Mr. Hudson has pointed out, the developers are using these districts to saddle future property owners with enormous debt, possibly for generations to come. Metro districts are a necessary evil but can be a useful tool in cases where services are needed and there is no entity to take them on. They should never be used as a financing scheme to transfer debt from the developer to an unsuspecting buyer.
Hopefully, the Town of Pagosa board will refuse approval of this impending debt explosion. If the developer can’t finance a project on their own dime, they shouldn’t be permitted to create debt for others.
Kelly Evans
Pagosa Springs, CO