Published 10-14-08
in Longmont Times-Call

LACK OF CONFIDENCE
NOT A GOOD SIGN

It’s a sad reflection on Longmont when upwards of 100 local business and professional people, including one of the town’s leading entrepreneurial families, become so disenchanted with the direction the present city council is taking our city that they have found it necessary to form a group called LIFT to encourage and protect not only their own well-being, but that of future business and commercial investors as well. Regardless of what the “experts” say, whenever a business community loses confidence in its city government, nobody wins and the biggest losers will be homeowners whose property taxes and city user-fees for water/sewer/electricity/trash will rise dramatically as business-generated revenues fall. Is that what the people of Longmont want?

A sagging economy will make it tough for even the most business-friendly cities to attract attention. Once publicity gets out that a city council is not seen as a positive factor by numerous local businesses, as is the case now in Longmont, that perception quickly spreads to the outside world and it’s nearly irreversible.

Councilwoman Karen Benker’s promises of improving the business climate (T-C 10/4/08) ring hollow, especially after being a ringleader in chasing away the significant amount of permit fees and commercial/retail taxes tied to the LifeBridge Union project. She and her cohorts drove the Union project right into Firestone’s arms, where voters did not buy into the anti-church propaganda and approved the annexation 509 to 357.

Although I usually see eye-to-eye with Mayor Roger Lange, it is not in the best interests of this city to be running up horrendous lawyer fees in trying to kill Firestone’s Union annex. Longmont had its shot at this property; the council majority worked hard to keep it out, and won. Why should we taxpayers now be expected to pay dearly to keep it out of Firestone?
P.