While most of the talk this year is about the proposed recreation center and its accompanying 3/4 of a cent sales tax, those elected to City Council will have a much more daunting task ahead of them. Council will have many issues to deal with over the next four years.

The major issue for me will be helping to produce city budgets that will preserve our essential services and still be able to move the city forward. As more and more businesses close and our sales tax revenues continue to tumble, that IS the issue.

Other issues will be recreational marijuana stores, oversight of the new water plant construction, downtown revitalization, and stabilizing our business and population base.

And yes, if the recreation center passes that oversight will also fall on this council.

Oil and gas are leaving for greener pastures. They are leaving behind empty storefronts and empty homes.

Rifle still has not emerged from the subprime mortgage bust of a few years back, home values are half of what they were and jobs are being replaced with service jobs that do not pay the same wages as oil and gas did. Service wages also do not produce the disposable income that fueled a lot of the businesses that are now gone. Service wages also have a hard time supporting mortgages and the stricter requirements that come with them now. We will need to develop and encourage industries and businesses that will replace those higher wage jobs.

Council will have its work cut out for it. As a former city councilman and with 40 years of management and property experience I am up to the challenges that a position on City Council will throw at me. I ask for you vote this year and I will be the responsible leader that will help guide us to our future.

Don’t vote for a candidate who’s only agenda is building a recreation center. I have as much vested interest in seeing Rifle grow and prosper, as I, too, am your neighbor. Please visit my website at http://www.MyersforCouncil.com.

Best Regards,

Dirk Myers

Rifle City Council Candidate