A better path forward for Gunnison County roads

Editor:

Gunnison County residents all agree on one thing: our roads and bridges matter. They are essential to safety, commerce, emergency response and daily life in a rural county with hundreds of miles of roadway. Wanting better infrastructure does not make someone anti-community. Wanting accountability does not make someone anti-progress.

The county’s Roads and Bridge Initiative website makes several important points. Gas tax revenue—the Highway User Tax Fund—has not increased since 1993. Road maintenance costs have risen steadily for decades. The county has had a constrained road and bridge budget since the late 1990s. These facts matter. But taken together, they also tell a deeper story: This challenge did not happen suddenly.

According to the county’s own materials, deferred maintenance now totals more than $38 million, and an additional $1.9 million per year is needed just to keep pace. That backlog accumulated over more than 25 years of known funding limitations. Rising costs were not unexpected. Restricted revenue sources were not a surprise. The consequences of delay were entirely foreseeable.

Now, residents are being asked to approve a countywide sales tax that excludes groceries and utilities to create a dedicated funding source for roads and bridges. While the tax is described as "small," it would add to a growing burden on families already facing higher costs across nearly every aspect of life. For many households, especially those on fixed incomes, there is no such thing as a painless tax increase.

The issue is not whether roads need funding. The issue is whether taxpayers should once again be asked to solve a problem created by decades of deferred decisions. The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) acknowledges that road funding relied on outdated sources while other priorities moved forward. That reality deserves honest reflection before new revenue is requested.

Hope for a better future does not come from higher taxes alone. It comes from better planning, clearer priorities and a willingness to ask hard questions. How were discretionary funds allocated while road conditions declined? Why were long-term solutions not pursued earlier? What safeguards will ensure that today’s proposal does not become tomorrow’s backlog?

There are better paths forward: stronger advocacy for state and federal transportation funding, renewed discussion about responsible economic development that historically supported infrastructure, internal cost controls and a commitment to long-range planning that does not rely on last-minute fixes.

Gunnison County is hosting a roads and bridges informational open house on Wednesday, Feb. 18, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. at the Gunnison County Courthouse BOCC board room. I encourage residents to attend, ask questions and engage respectfully.

Most importantly, voters should take the time to read the county’s materials carefully, attend the open house and ask for clear answers before supporting any new tax. Civic engagement matters—not just at the ballot box, but in the conversations that shape what appears on it. If we want a stronger Gunnison County, we must insist on solutions that are sustainable, transparent and fair to the people who already contribute so much to this community.

Cori Balch and Neil Watko

Gunnison County Republicans