In a recent survey, Loveland residents were asked how well the city meets their needs, and some would say it is getting worse.
Anyone who has lived in Loveland for two decades or more can remember a time when city officials cared about quality of life.
From the 1980s to the early 2000s, city leaders focused on making the community the best it could be.
The Loveland Recreation Trail was made possible through funding from the City Council.
In the late 1980s, the city built the Civic Center Complex, the Chilson Recreation and Senior Center, and the Loveland Public Library.
The city allowed the Benson Sculpture Garden to be built on park land it owns, and through the hard work of volunteers, it has grown into a world-class attraction that people are enjoying this weekend with sculptures on display and for sale in the park.
Admission to the Loveland Museum was free. The City Council funded three weekly concert series from June through August, bringing dozens of opportunities for free music not only to Foote Lagoon but also to the North Lake Park Amphitheater and Peters Park downtown. This year there were only two concerts at Foote Lagoon, which was barely holding water because it had a leak and no funds to fix it.
By the turn of the century, Loveland had reached a population of 50,000, and many of us were drawn to the city because of the amenities it now had to offer.
Councilors expressed concerns about traffic congestion as Loveland grows, about affordable housing, and about bringing more shopping to Loveland to stem the drain of sales tax revenue to other cities.
In short, the former city councilors cared about the quality of life the city offers its residents and visitors and made Loveland a beautiful place to live.
On Tuesday evening, it seemed as if those days were long gone.
In recent months, the council has had to accept the loss of grocery sales tax revenue after voters demanded that money back in the 2023 election. With fewer funds, they warned of massive cuts to services that benefit residents, proposing drastic cuts to the Rialto Theater Center, museum and library. Good people who care about Loveland residents will lose their jobs with the city.
Yet when the City Council had the opportunity to ask voters to approve a new sales tax to again provide money for services, it essentially asked citizens to go somewhere…well, better than Loveland.
The Loveland City Council has a tiny bit of time left to do the right thing and put the sales tax issue on the ballot.
Councilman Dana Foley, who voted against the measure, requested that it be reconsidered at the next meeting on Tuesday, but he would like to request a 0.75% increase instead of 1%.
It doesn’t matter if individual council members support a tax increase. They must give city residents the opportunity to decide for themselves. Some will vote no because they don’t trust city officials, some will vote no because they feel the effects of inflation and don’t want to give up another penny, but some value the quality of life Loveland once offered and should offer again and will vote yes.
Council members, stop scoring political points and start caring about the people you represent. Give us a say in the future of the city.
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