Ballot measure could mean temporary exemption for city from Taxpayer Bill of Rights
Seated behind the dais in the City Hall auditorium virtually a year ago to the date, weighing whether to ask city residents to approve a sales-tax hike to pay for new police and fire buildings, then-Grand Junction City Councilman Doug Thomason voiced the prevailing opinion of the council. “It’s not a real tough decision,” Thomason said. “The need has been clearly identified.” At the time, western Colorado was holding its own against a sinking national economy. Virtually anyone who wanted a job had one. Sales-tax revenue continued to roll in.