Regarding the recent editorial “Explaining the Subdivision Paving Local Improvement District” by the Boulder County Commissioners, let’s be clear about the two choices offered in this false dilemma: Dear rural residents, do you prefer to be whipped with sticks or the cat o’ nine tails?
The so-called “special assessment,” aka LID lien, evokes my memories of an earlier experience, which goes back to 2009 and the subprime mortgage fiasco. Due to the resulting wave of foreclosures, the condominium community where I had invested was facing a serious budget shortfall. Claiming there was no other way to pay the bills, the association board of directors and management company proposed a hefty special assessment. A few of us strongly objected, and upon being elected to the board we immediately fired the management company and revamped the budget. We promised to solve the budget crisis without the assessment, and that’s what we did. If the assessment had passed, we would have certainly gone bankrupt.
No one wants to invest in a community where they may be subjected to arbitrary fees and poor fiscal management. Special assessments erode property values and reveal a lack of initiative among the leadership. Fortunately, in this case word spread quickly about our commitment to the homeowners and the long-term success of the community. Soon, investors were lined up to buy the condos, and today that community is thriving.
To be fair, the current county commissioners did not initiate the budget crisis. That is water long under the bridge. But sadly, their authoritarian stance and simple-minded solution are aimed at legitimizing this fraud. Difficult choices lie ahead, but there is only one path to reconciliation: The commissioners must acknowledge the county’s obligation to fully maintain the roads they own.
Kimberly Gibbs
Gunbarrel
