From the Styx by Peggy Tibbetts

We – meaning Rick & Janet, and I – have been having such a riveting discussion in the comments section I almost forgot to post a blog entry. You will find our discussion under Comments for my previous post: Guest Blog by Mayor Pro-Tem. Our discussion began with a rather scathing comment by my new friend Audrey, though I seriously doubt that she considers me her friend. But anybody who comments on my blog is my friend. So you’re stuck with me, Audrey – just like the Silt voters.

Anyhoo, Audrey thinks it’s “inappropriate” that I’m running for Trustee. Even though there’s no law prohibiting me from running she says, “that doesn’t make it right!” She doesn’t think a husband and wife should serve on the Board together.

According to some recent Letters to the Editor in The Paper, a few others have similar beefs about me. Please note: You’ll need to scroll down to find and read the letters cuz they’re all posted on one webpage.

Mary Blichmann, who is a Silt voter, simply wonders how can this can be?

“How can the wife of the guy who’s leading the recall run for trustee?”

It was easy. I picked up a Trustee packet and gathered 25 signatures, then turned them in by the deadline.

Jeanette Lyon, who lives in rural Silt and is not a registered Silt voter, thinks my candidacy is an insult to thinking people:

“Have you noticed Tibbetts’ wife is a candidate for town council? This is an insult to thinking people in the Silt area. No husband and wife should be on council together.”

Truth is, after my successful River Park Petition to allow dogs off-leash, I’m polling huge numbers with the canine demographic. So you could say I’m a big hit with the NON-THINKING residents. Sadly, the dogs don’t get to vote.

But – wait a minute – their owners DO VOTE.

And the Dick Cheney Sneer Award goes to Duke Cox, who is not a Silt voter, and thinks it’s all a farce – or I’m a farce – I’m not sure which:

“What a farce. So, the mayor pro-tems’ wife is running for trustee.”

I love their euphemisms for me – mayor pro-tems’ wife. He didn’t even get the apostrophe in the right place so it looks like I am perhaps many men’s wife? Then there’s Tibbetts’ wife, and my very favorite: the wife of the guy who’s leading the recall. I had a little fun with it. I wrote in my Letter to the Editor:  My name is Peggy Tibbetts. My name is not “wife of Tod” or “Tibbetts’ wife.”

At least Audrey had the decency – and the guts – to confront me directly. I assume she knows my name. I mean, now that we’re friends and all – even though I know she won’t vote for me. I bet Audrey doesn’t have a dog. Cuz if she did, he’d want her to vote for me.

I am telling you, the dogs ABSOLUTELY LOVE me. 

But those other 3 letter writers – what a bunch of losers. They didn’t even bother to find out my name. Their dogs are probably disappointed in them.

So the whole can’t-say-my-name thing strikes me as weird. What’s that about anyway? Maybe it’s just part of getting their points across. I’m married to Tod Tibbetts and he’s on the Board and they don’t think married couples should serve on the Board together, even if it’s perfectly legal. But in a recent article in The Paper about Dave Moore and the Recall, Heidi Rice wrote:

“The five candidates seeking the four open trustee seats include incumbents Bobby Hays and Joe Sos, as well as Sonny Fernandez, Peggy Tibbetts (wife of Tod Tibbetts) and Nicky Leigh.”

She felt it necessary to single me out. No one else was identified by his/her spouse. She didn’t write: Joe Sos (husband of Mrs. Sos). And it’s possible Heidi didn’t actually write that in her article – maybe her editor inserted it. I don’t know. Like I said, I think it’s pretty weird – oh – and um – SEXIST.

As an author and editor, I work in the publishing industry which is a subsidiary of the entertainment industry. Name recognition and branding are everything. I’m well known in my career circles as Peggy Tibbetts. The guy who’s leading the recall doesn’t even enter into my business dealings.

Alas, in the Silt town election I will remain “wife of Tod” to those Pilgrims still trapped in the 17th century.

I have already addressed the issue of Tod and I being on the Board together, should I win the election, in my post: Top 10 Reasons why I’m running for Trustee. I respect people’s right to object to me being on the Board with Tod. They shouldn’t vote for me. I hardly think it’s necessary to insult or denigrate me, or insinuate that my candidacy is immoral or unethical. In fact, it’s downright rude.

Harumphf!

I wonder how those same people feel about the father, John Reeves and son, Andrew Reeves who serve as Vice Chair and Chair on the Silt Planning and Zoning Commission. Or maybe that’s okay cuz they’re men and manly men don’t tell each other what to do.

But a husband and wife – oo – now there’s Trouble.

Oh please.

Do they really believe I can’t think for myself?

I guess in any election cycle, whether national or local, eventually the real issues fall by the wayside and people tend to get bogged down in the mud of politics.

It’s funny how the Recall naysayers think we must have some sort of hidden agenda. Why else would we do all this work?

Jeanette Lyon said:

“Do you understand how many personal rights you, the people of the Silt area, are losing if Tibbetts and the mayoral replacement gain control of town council?”

As if the Board of Trustees has any control over personal rights. What a joke!

Tod and I have spent the better part of the past year out talking to voters and asking for their signatures on petitions. I call that standing up for people’s rights. 

Duke Cox called us a “power-hungry cabal”. What is this mysterious POWER that we’re after?

The rule of law

Open government

A town government that responds to the wishes of the people and not the agendas of individual Board members

These are the issues we’ve stood up for. That’s what we’ve been harping about for over a year.

Here’s a f’rinstance. At last Monday’s (3/24) Board meeting, Betsy Suerth, the Town Administrator, brought up chemical spraying when the numbers of mosquitoes increase to a certain level. Mayor Moore wanted to rule by Board consensus – not even by motion – right then and there that they give Betsy permission to let the company just come in and spray for mosquitoes when they feel the numbers have increased. In the past, the Board has held public hearings and the people have rejected chemical spraying. Tod spoke up and objected to the consensus vote, saying that if the company feels that the mosquito numbers are high enough to warrant spraying, then the Board should hold a public hearing on the matter. Moore said it didn’t matter to him whether there was a public hearing. Luckily the other Board members agreed with Tod, so there will be a public hearing before chemical spraying is allowed.

Power to the people!

The Recall and running for office are all about democracy and public service. We have nothing to gain personally from our efforts. We care about the future of Silt. Period. We don’t profit financially from this exercise in democracy, or our public service.

The only way a person could actually profit financially as a Board member would be if he was a contractor or a developer who owned development land in the town, and used his elected office to curtail other projects and push his own project through. Huh.

You know, someone like Dave Moore.

* Check out the candidate profiles in The Paper today *

Only 353 out of 988 ballots have been returned. Come on people! Fill out those ballots. Sign em and get em to the Town Hall by April 1. You can DO this now. Help us restore open government in Silt.

 !!! VOTE NOW !!!

I yield the floor to my guest, Mayor Pro-Tem Tod Tibbetts for this important message. Here’s Tod:

Today I will say what I was not allowed to say at Tuesday night’s meeting. My purpose in asking the Town Administrator to convene a Special Session was to determine the basis for Mr. Moore’s statement in his campaign brochure that he “discovered misappropriation of town funds”.

Town Attorney Cindy Tester went into a long and labored explanation about the freedom of speech. However I never questioned Mr. Moore’s right to use the words that he did. I questioned the accuracy of his words and his responsibility to the reputation of the Town Staff, the Board, and the community.

As was confirmed by Ms. Tester and clarified for the public, the Board, and the Staff was that there was no misappropriation of funds. That was the point. Was there? Or wasn’t there? While I knew there was no misappropriation of town funds, I had to force the issue in order to make it clear for the public. Mr. Moore’s statement implied criminal wrongdoing and a cover-up by the Town Staff and the Board. Nothing could be further from the truth. However knowing that is simply not enough. As Mayor Pro-Tem I have a responsibility to the Staff, the Board, and the community to denounce those accusations in a public session.

Mr. Moore has his freedom of speech. The Town Staff and the Board have the right to refute false accusations in a public setting. And the people also have the right to have confidence in the integrity of their town government.

Tuesday night we learned that Mr. Moore has two standards for the truth that he subscribes to. One that he uses when he’s talking to people about the “politics” of town government; and another standard when he is being held responsible for his words.

Speech is free but the speaker carries the burden of responsibility for his words.

The purpose of Tuesday night’s meeting was not political. The meeting was absolutely necessary to dispel a false accusation by Mr. Moore against the Town Staff and the Board. Mr. Moore did not “discover misappropriation of town funds”. There was no misappropriation of town funds. At least now the people of Silt can rest assured that Mr. Moore’s allegation is false.

Tod Tibbetts
Silt Mayor Pro-Tem

A Special Session of the Silt Town Board will convene at 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, March 18, to address an allegation made by Mayor Dave Moore in a campaign flyer he is circulating which states that he “discovered the misappropriation of town funds”.

Today (March 17) Tod Tibbetts sent a copy of Moore’s campaign flyer along with the following letter to Silt Town Administrator Betsy Suerth:

Ms Suerth,

In the attached campaign handout being distributed to citizens of the Town of Silt by the supporters of Mayor Moore, allegations of misappropriation of Town of Silt funds are raised. This statement indicates that the Mayor has knowledge of criminal activities perpetrated against the Town. These are very serious allegations and need to be addressed immediately.

I call for a special session of the Board of Trustees to convene this week. 

Here is the process as spelled out in Section 2-10(b) of the Home Rule Charter.

Special meetings of the Board of Trustees shall be called by the Town Clerk on the request of the Mayor or the Town Administrator with the informal consent of at least a quorum of the Board of Trustees.

It is imperative that the integrity of our Town government be upheld. An investigation into these alleged criminal wrong doings needs to be launched so the public can be assured that their current administration is doing what is required of them.

I would appreciate a follow-up call or e-mail later today or tomorrow morning to know what action on this extremely serious matter is being taken.

Sincerely,

Tod C. Tibbetts
Mayor Pro-Tem
Town of Silt

Suerth immediately called for the Special Session which is now set for tomorrow night.

A great big THANK YOU to the Silt Chamber of Commerce for hosting the Silt Candidate Forum on Friday night (March 14) at the Town Hall. It was a huge success!

Candidate for Mayor Rick Aluise was there, along with myself and the other four Trustee candidates: Sonny Fernandez, Bobby Hays, Jos Sos, and Nicky Leigh. Neither Dave Moore, nor any reporter from the Post Independent showed up. The event was televised live on the Silt Channel. Candidates spent two hours in the hot seat answering questions from voters. About 15 people showed up in person to ask questions and the live TV audience also sent questions via email. The forum will be rebroadcast beginning this Wednesday until the April 1 election deadline.

I want to say thank you to the Silt Chamber of Commerce for hosting this event. The candidates and voters who participated showed how much they care about the issues and the future of Silt.

Candidate for Mayor Rick Aluise was the star of the show. He impressed the voters and the other candidates with his knowledge and command of the issues. He not only explained what the issues are but what we can do about them.

When asked about water concerns, Rick said:

“As Town Administrator, I reviewed all of the Town’s water rights, both potable and irrigation. The Town of Silt currently has the right to approximately 2 cfs (cubic feet per second) from the Colorado River for potable water, most of which is in the form of an absolute right and a small fraction of which is conditional. When I started as the Town Administrator, we had about 1.5 cfs absolute right and .25 cfs conditional right.  I applied to make the .25 cfs absolute and made another application for another .3 cfs conditional.  Both applications were approved during my administration, giving the Town just slightly more than 2 cfs from the Colorado River for potable purposes. The 2 cfs equate to about 1.2 to 1.3 million gallons of water daily. The Town’s peak day demand (the amount of water the Town uses for one day at the height of the hottest time of the year) is about 500,000 gallons. This means the Town of Silt could more than double in size with its current potable water rights. The town’s current irrigation rights include about 14 shares of Grand River ditch water, 4 shares of FICO (Harvey Gap) water, 33 shares of Ware and Hines water and a small right on the Giacinta Ditch for Mesa View Subdivision. The Town can’t currently use the Ware and Hines water. We can get it around Davis Point, but we don’t have a return flow point.  The staff has been working with developers to address this problem as new development occurs in the Davis Point area, which should allow us to use that water in the future. We also have a similar problem with FICO water, but Steve Self is allowing the Town to bring that water across his property and into our system while we work with Steve and other FICO shareholders for a permanent solution. We currently pump every drop of irrigation water for which we have rights. As the Town Administrator I worked to obtain extra irrigation rights as they became available. The Town has water dedication requirements for new development, and it is critical for the Town to continue to insist on both the potable and irrigation rights required by our code from every development as they annex in order to ensure that we continue to have adequate water. The only way we will keep up with our irrigation needs is to insist on our requirement not to allow more than 3500 square feet of irrigable space per lot. Subdivisions in the past have engineered their water dedication based on that square footage, but some lots are irrigating 2 to 3 times that much area, leading to an irrigation deficit in that subdivision.”
 
On energy impacts, Rick said:

“I believe the best way to address the oil and gas impacts is to form a coalition with the cities and counties that experience the impacts (Rifle, Silt, Parachute, DeBeque, Grand Junction, Mesa, Garfield and Rio Blanco counties) and to lobby the legislature to return every dollar of severance tax money paid by oil and gas companies in those areas to the cities and counties that experience the impacts. The current distribution method sends all of the money to the state, and they then send a small fraction back to the cities and counties. With the rest of the money, the state sets up grants for which we must apply. Furthermore, they limit the amount of grant money that any entity can obtain to $500,000, which is ridiculous. If every severance tax dollar that comes out of the area came back, we would have enough money to address the impacts.”

Read Rick Aluise’s History and Policy Statement.

I received word last night that Dave Moore will not be attending the Silt Candidate’s Forum on Friday, March 14, at the Town Hall. No word on why.

Please note the time has been changed from 6:30 p.m. to now at 7:00 p.m.

See you there!

Come and meet the candidates!

A Silt Candidate’s Forum will be held on Friday, March 14, at 7:00 p.m.* at the Town Hall. Ballot issues will be explained and mayoral candidates, Rick Aluise and Dave Moore will be on hand to answer questions about their platform and issues. Refreshments will be served. Bring your questions!

The forum will be televised live on the Silt Channel 10, and will also be re-broadcast during through the April 1 election.

* Please note the time change from 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 pm.

Here are the ballot issues for this year’s election:

Question No. 1

Shall Town of Silt taxes be increased by an estimated $32,000 for the first full fiscal year (200 and by such amounts as may be generated annually thereafter by the imposition of a lodging tax on the leasing or renting of rooms or other accommodations in commercial lodging establishments within the Town of Silt at the amount of 2.5% per overnight stay, commencing on July 1, 2008, with the foregoing terms to be more specifically defined by ordinance of the Board of Trustees, the proceeds of which lodging tax, together with the investment earnings thereon, shall be used primarily for the development and marketing of visitor improvements and attractions, special events, beautification projects and historic preservation in the Town, as well as the general promotion of the Town and its environs as shall be deposited in the Town of Silt Beautification Fund hereby established as a fund separate and distinct from the General Fund, and in connection therewith shall the Town be authorized to collect and retain or expend the proceeds of such tax and investment earnings thereon notwithstanding any applicable limitation on revenues and expenditures, including the limitations set forth in Article X, Section 20 of The Colorado Constitution?

Question No. 2

Shall the Town of Silt Municipal Charter be amended so that the Town Administrator shall be responsible for handling general Town business and internal personnel matters, allowing the Board of Trustees to handle Town policy and governance matters?

Don’t forget the Silt Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday March 15, at 9:00 a.m. at Veterans Park!

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Today I’m happy to turn my blog over to Candidate for Mayor Rick Aluise. Please take a moment to read more about his background and experience. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to stop by his store, Silt Discount Liquor (across from the Post Office). He’ll be happy to talk with you.

Here’s Rick:

Silt has always been an important part of my life.  My great grandfather, Raphael Zarlingo, homesteaded in the Harvey Gap area in the late 1800s.  My mother grew up in Silt, where my grandfather, Joe Costanzo, had a grocery store that stood where the Town of Silt now has a parking lot.  My grandfather served on the Board of Trustees, and two uncles served as mayor.

I served as the Town Administrator in Silt for over five years.  I also served as the Clerk/Manager in Wellington, Colorado.  I am very familiar with municipal issues in general and Silt’s issues specifically.

Silt’s future is at a pivotal point.  It is important for the Mayor and the Board of Trustees to have a deep understanding of the issues and the policies that will form the framework of Silt’s growth not only for the next several years, but for the next 15 to 20 years.  Having served as the Town Administrator in Silt for over five years, I believe I have a very strong grasp of those issues.

Budget and Finance – As Town Administrator, my duties included preparing the budget, obtaining and managing bond and other financing instruments and applying for grants.  I am very aware of every detail of our budget, including the principals of governmental fund accounting and our fund balances.  I presented the Board of Trustees with budgets that posted surpluses, and I personally wrote or collaborated with other staff members in writing grants that netted 1.935 million dollars for various Town projects.

Development – I am very aware of current developments and development regulations.  I know the importance to the financial health of the community of obtaining sound commercial development.  Commercial development brings higher property tax revenue (29% commercial assessment rate as opposed to a 7% residential assessment rate), and the potential for sales taxes – critical revenue to help maintain our streets, parks and other infrastructure.  Sound commercial development can only come with commercial buildings that are attractive and comply with current building codes.  As a local business owner, I am doing my part to contribute to that financial health.

Agreements – I have a strong understanding of our current agreements.  It was important for me to understand all of the Town’s agreements in order to administer them properly.  I familiarized myself with the agreements that preceded my time as Town Administrator as quickly and as thoroughly as possible.  Since I was involved in negotiating many agreements, I understand those in even greater detail.

Municipal Code and Home Rule Charter – Since one of the responsibilities of the Mayor and the Board of Trustees is to uphold the Silt Municipal Code, my familiarity with the code will be extremely beneficial.  I am well aware of what the Mayor and the Board of Trustees are empowered to do, and, sometimes even more importantly, what they are not empowered to do.

Open Government – The Open Meetings Law requires that a municipality conduct its business in open, public meetings, except for the very limited issues that may be subject to Executive Session.  Private consultation with other board members regarding quasi-judicial matters, whether at lunch or via email, telephone or other means, is a violation of the Open Meetings Law.  I will strictly follow the policy of open government.

Due Process – Every municipality has specific processes for such issues as annexation, development, site plan review and other similar issues.  The Mayor and Board of Trustees sit in what is known as a “quasi-judicial” capacity when these issues come before them.  This means they sit in a similar capacity as a judge or jury in a trial.  Just as it would violate a defendant’s right to unbiased, due process if a judge or member of the jury were to testify against a defendant and then pass judgment on his or her case, it is entirely inappropriate and a violation of an applicant’s due process for the Mayor or any Trustee to present evidence either for or against an applicant. I will not violate the due process rights of any applicant.

Conflicts of Interest – Every public official will face a conflict of interest at some point.  Knowing when to recuse oneself without being forced to do so by the Town Attorney or the Board of Trustees is one of the most important aspects of public office.  I will recuse myself when necessary without being forced to do so.

Oil and Gas Development – I am very aware of the impacts of oil and gas development and what we can and can’t do to control those impacts.  I served on the Garfield County Energy Advisory Board from the time of its inception until I resigned my position at the Town.

Water – I currently serve on the Silt Water Conservancy District board.  I am very familiar with the critical water issues that we face as a municipality.

The Town of Silt can no longer afford to wait for someone to learn the importance of these issues and the proper role of the mayor.  If you agree, please vote for the recall and for me.

Thank you,
Rick Aluise

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Woo-hoo! We have 5 people running for the 4 Trustee positions. This is great news.

Race shapes up in Silt
By Pete Fowler

GARFIELD COUNTY, Colorado — Getting elected town trustee this year will be tougher in Silt than in New Castle.

In Silt, five people are contending for four seats on the Town Board of Trustees. Incumbents Joe Sos and Bobby Hays have filed paperwork with the town announcing their intentions to seek re-election. Peggy Tibbetts, Sonny Fernandez and Nicky Leigh also entered the race. Trustees Jim Voorheis and Ron Morgan both decided not to run again, according to Silt Town Clerk Sheila McIntyre.

I could not be more pleased. All through this process the Recall Committee has had 3 goals:

• To recall Dave Moore
• To make voters more aware of what’s going on in town government
• To get voters more involved in town government

Having 5 candidates for Trustee is a win-win situation for Silt voters.

The last day to file the paperwork to get on the ballot was Friday, and write-in candidates would have had to file an affidavit of intent by Jan. 28 in order to run, said Town Administrator Betsy Suerth.

Voters will also decide the fate of Mayor Dave Moore, who faces a recall election. If he is recalled, a second ballot question will decide his replacement, with Rick Aluise as the only candidate. A majority vote against Moore would force him out of office.

The upcoming April 1 election for Silt will be held by mail ballot. Ballots will be mailed out by March 17.

I urge voters to vote to recall Dave Moore and elect Rick Aluise for Mayor. The future of Silt is at stake.

Silt residents also must decide if they want to impose a 2.5 percent lodging tax.

In the past I have opposed the lodging tax because we only had one motel in Silt – the Red River Inn – and it seemed unfair. However we have a new motel going up which is expected to be in business before the end of the year, and the owners of the Red River Inn now support the lodging tax, I will also support it.

Another ballot question asks if voters want the town administrator to take over some responsibilities of the Board of Trustees — mainly regarding personnel issues.

Perhaps the most significant change would be allowing the town administrator to hire staff positions like town clerk, treasurer, police chief and municipal judge. Currently, those positions are appointed by the town trustees, Suerth said. The town administrator and town attorney would still be appointed by the trustees even if the question were approved.

“It helps to separate the supervision of government operations from the policy making decisions,” Suerth said. “It gives the senior management clear direction from one person.”

For these same reasons, I will also support this ballot issue.

This is an exciting election in Silt. When your ballot arrives in two weeks, please be sure to vote!

GET YOUR CAMPAIGN SIGNS TODAY!

I have campaign signs for your yard – Elect Rick Aluise and Recall Dave Moore. Call me, I’m in the book under Tod Tibbetts or email me: peggyt@siltnet.net

Three weeks ago Dave called up The Paper and “announced” he would not be running for County Commissioner. I had questioned whether serving as Mayor and running for County Commissioner at the same time would constitute a conflict of interest. Now I wonder whether in his latest “announced plans”, he is acting as Mayor or a representative of High Point Ventures, his investment group that is behind “his project”, Autumn Ridge Subdivision.

Silt mayor works on housing
Dave Moore says the town can lead affordable housing parade with his project
By Pete Fowler

SILT, Colorado — Mayor Dave Moore has announced plans to develop about 34 affordable housing units in Silt.

“I believe that we can lead the parade on affordable housing in Garfield County,” Moore said in an interview Thursday. “And I’m looking forward to some great things happening in the town of Silt.”

Moore, his family members, and a few business partners purchased three acres of land in the eastern part of Silt in August. The area sits on the north side of Main Street, across from the Intermountain Transfer and Storage business. He said he grew frustrated hearing lots of talk about affordable housing …

As the article states, the 3-acre site is on Main Street, surrounded by commercial development – between Steffi’s Place Bar & Restaurant and the AA Audio business, and across from Intermountain Transfer storage units. I wonder whether it’s a good idea to put a residential development in the downtown commercial corridor. Commercial development brings more revenue to the town in property and sales tax revenues, than residential development. Can Silt afford to sacrifice prime commercial space to more residential development?

I have seen the sketch plan for the proposed Autumn Ridge Subdivision. There is no park, which is required by code. So even the people who can afford $190,000 to $230,000, get to live downtown and their kids don’t get a park.  I’m all for affordable housing in residential districts. But this is obviously not an entirely residential district. Besides a busy bar and restaurant, there is heavy truck traffic on Main Street 24 hours a day.

A better way to approach affordable housing is to require developers to designate a specific portion of their projects to affordable housing. More importantly, to allow developers with projects already underway, the option to change their PUD and designate a portion to affordable housing.

Mr. Moore’s Autumn Ridge Subdivision proposal has yet to be introduced to the Silt Planning and Zoning Commission and the Town Board. According to The Paper, that process begins March 4:

Engineering work laying out street design and other infrastructure has been completed, he said, and the proposal will go before the Silt Planning and Zoning Commission Tuesday night.

“It should get approved,” Moore said. “I hope that Silt will see the same vision that we
have seen.”

It’s one thing for a Mayor to use his position to promote a proposed project to the media. It’s something entirely different when the Mayor has a financial interest in the proposed project. It’s called an ethics violation.

2.04.110 Code of ethics.

E. Direct Financial Interest or Personal Interest.
1. Any official who has a direct financial interest in any matter proposed or pending before the town board of trustees, any board, commission, agency, committee or entity shall disclose such interest to the governing body of such entity and shall not vote thereon, and shall refrain from influencing or attempting to influence the decisions of the other members of such entity in voting on the matter.

Mr. Moore said, “It should get approved. I hope that Silt will see the same vision that we have seen.” He clearly used his position as Mayor to contact the media to promote his Autumn Ridge project in order to influence the P&Z Commissioners and Trustees, who will be voting on the matter in the future. 

As I’ve said before, I can’t tell you any better than Mr. Moore can show you why he is not qualified to be Mayor. The Mayor of Silt should be on the side of preserving prime commercial space for future development for the enhancement of our downtown, for the benefit of all the residents, and to bring tax revenue to the town well into the future.

Like a lot of other residents, I look around town and see new residential developments springing up on Stoney Ridge, also Painted Pastures and Mira Loma, and I ask, “Does Silt really need more residential development?”

Candidate for Mayor Rick Aluise says: “I know the importance to the financial health of the community of obtaining sound commercial development. Commercial development brings higher property tax revenue (29% commercial assessment rate as opposed to a 7% residential assessment rate), and the potential for sales taxes – critical revenue to help maintain our streets, parks and other infrastructure.”

Mr. Moore has shown the voters that he wants to be Mayor in order to promote his own project to enhance his own revenue. Rick Aluise wants to be Mayor so he can work with the Trustees to promote the creation of a sound and steady stream of revenue that will not only keep this town afloat but also be more prosperous in the future.

It’s all about Silt, people, and doing what’s in the best interests of the folks who live here now and in the future.   

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