As one of many homeowners potentially affected by Archuleta County Road and Bridge’s attempt to deny further maintenance on our neighborhood roads, I appreciate my neighbor’s further research and previously posted editorial concerning the matter, which uncovered the original County agreement from almost thirty years ago.
As with our constitution, we can debate the intent of the original framers as well as speculate what the County’s intent was back in 1998 when they agreed to maintain these roads in new subdivisions, but one thing is very clear from the County’s agreement as written in the third and final conclusive statement, which is the resolution to transfer maintenance after five years is “…specifically contingent upon the voters of Archuleta County passing that ballot issue ….” My neighbor is correct that since the voters did not pass the measure the resolution to move road maintenance to individual neighborhoods is void.
The language is clear, the measure did not meet the requirements the County itself specifically identified.
If the budget is so tight that the County is creatively attempting to shed maintenance responsibilities that affect the many, may I suggest we look at County funding that currently benefits the few. In 2024 Archuleta County expected to spend approximately $500,000 running the airport and collect about $180,000 in fees. This indicates a direct subsidy of roughly $320,000 for that year. In 2023, the County subsidized the airport approximately $130,000. Over the past 10 years the county has spent approximately $5.5 million of taxpayer funds with an expectation of perhaps $8 million in airport maintenance and improvements between 2023 and 2027.
While it is helpful having a runway for medical emergencies and firefighters — unlike with our roads, very few directly benefit from the enormous subsidies given to this non-self-supporting entity other than hobbyists and some high rollers in private jets.
As citizens of Archuleta County, our request is that we better allocate our taxes to the infrastructure that the vast majority of us rely on — our roads — and stop this attempt to push our neighborhoods aside while spending additional funds on lower priority endeavors.
Jim Snead
Pagosa Springs