The Sewer Project that will Keep on Costing

Whether the city needs funds for the streets, sewer, water, or employees, the first thing the Council thinks about is raising taxes. The Northlands sewer project is no exception but it promises to take our money for another generation.  A lot of people are complaining about politicians in Washington not listening.  Are local representatives listening?  Maybe they don't hear any protests about current budget appropriations.

The contingent liabilities for infrastructure failure in our city have been estimated as high as thirty million dollars by a city official.  They include items such as natural gas transmission line repair, major water storage problems, and costly leak repairs on our water supply lines from LaVeta.  All of these items directly effect our tax and utility rates. It is difficult to get overly excited about costly projects that can drain our municipal funds for engineering fees and clean up expenses for sewer ponds that are privately owned in the Northlands. Even if property owners are willing and able to pay some of the expenses, it still leaves Walsenburg water customers guaranteeing the debt.

When the Northlands sewer project is studied for its benefits to the city, it doesn't add up.  The population served by this project is small.  However, the financial backers for it are the city water customers.  The last thing I want in my future is continual water and tax rate increases to promote land speculation.

Engineering Map of Northlands Sewer Project

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