Doesn’t the city have enough money?

$169 million. A few months ago, I asked Aspen Finance Department to tell me how much money the city has in the banks. Cash on hand is $169 million and that’s not counting what the city has in real estate or the Wheeler Opera House

$35-plus-or-minus million. This election has a lot of tax issues that if passed add a lot to our taxes. Some are needed, some I believe are not. After hearing how much money the city has on hand I now understand why our elected officials spend so much on studies. The money is burning holes in their pockets and they spend money like it’s not there’s. Oh yeah, it’s not theirs, it’s Aspen taxpayers money. I honestly don’t know what it costs each month to run the city but it seems to me that that $169 million is a boatload of money. Why is it so hard for the city to open its checkbook to some of these government agencies to help them out? Just food for thought before you say “yes” so easily to all these tax hikes.

Ian Long.

Snowmass Village