Although I live outside of  Carbondale, I own a retail business in Glenwood Springs. I urge all Glenwood Springs voters to vote “No” on the proposed sales tax increase. Other letter writers have already pointed out that this increase would make the Glenwood sales tax the highest of any city in the Roaring Fork Valley except for Snowmass Village. What the other letter writers have not pointed out is that the proposed tax would also increase the difference between city and county retail sales tax to almost 4 percent. In addition, many internet retailers still do not collect any sales tax.

We have customers every day who are shocked at how high the existing sales taxes are. People do make decisions about where they shop based on tax rates. The retail business is hyper competitive these days, and an increase in sales taxes would put Glenwood Springs businesses at a tremendous disadvantage. I realize the need for investment in our infrastructure, so I don’t want to be a naysayer without proposing a solution. If the city would start collecting sales taxes on internet purchases, there would be no need for a tax increase.

The proposed tax would raise more than double the amount the city says is needed. While I don’t doubt the sincerity of the current City Council when they say this new tax would expire once the proposed projects are finished, the ballot language does not say that. Any future City Council could simply pass an ordinance any time they want to keep collecting the tax and spending money, even after the current list of projects is complete. Don’t believe for a second that future politicians and city government would forego collecting a stream of taxes that has already been approved.  

Carl Moak,

Carbondale