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| 'For A Better Loveland Inc.' Formed to Lobby For New Taxes and Convention Center in Centerra |
Loveland - April 9, 2008
Local news coverage about a “new” group forming in town to make Loveland “better” might appear odd to the average person. Readers of local
newspapers (Loveland Reporter-Herald and Loveland Connection) were told a group calling itself For A Better Loveland Inc. formed just last month
to make Loveland a better place to live.
If you think of city residents helping to create new parks, planting trees in Loveland's many barren medians, helping their neighbors or bringing meals to
elderly shut-ins as making Loveland "Better" - you guessed wrong.
If you interpret making Loveland “better” as meaning new taxes you will not find the group’s press release misleading.
Who Is “For A Better Loveland Inc?”
If it seems probable that McWhinney’s vice president of community relations, Jay Hardy, just happened to meet a former state senator (Stan
Matsunaka) and operator of Loveland’s Chamber of Commerce (Gaye Stockman) and they said let’s form a group to make Loveland better – than
you will find the news coverage and their press release credible. The truth is the group’s formation was hardly spontaneous and their objective not so
vague as to simply make Loveland better.
Look closely and you will find that For A Better Loveland Inc. is peddling a retreaded tax initiative that twice failed at the ballot box. While they
officially registered the group just last month with the Secretary of State’s Office as a non-profit organization, they already been meeting privately since
last year. The group’s primary objective is to resurrect the city’s twice failed public campaign to convince Loveland voters to pass a lodging tax. This
is a tax that cities charge hotel guests when they pay for a hotel room in the city.
While advocates of the lodging tax argue that it makes no difference where tourist decide to stay for the night - the Loveland Chamber of Commerce
apparently doesn't agree. This is especially curious since the head of the local Chamber of Commerce is also among the small group of citizens forming
For A Better Loveland to lobby for a lodging tax. Below is an excerpt from Loveland's Chamber website -
"Loveland isn't just a drive-thru to Estes Park, it's a great place to stay overnight before going up to the park the next day. Whether it's a
rustic lodge, a cabin beside the river, a bed and breakfast or hotel, Loveland, with no lodging tax, offers affordable accommodations
compared to surrounding communities."
Reintroducing An Unpopular Tax – Does That Make Loveland Better?
Loveland voters rejected such a tax in 1998 and again in 2000. City Manager Don Williams has been a strong supporter of passing a lodging tax for
the city and has raised the issue numerous times with the city council.
In January of 2007 Williams raised the issue again with Loveland’s City Council by placing it on the agenda and encouraging action. Alan Krcmarik,
Loveland finance manager, told the council that for each percent of new lodging tax the council could expect to see $80,000. He also pointed out that
meant a 3% lodging tax would earn the city $240,000 a year if his projections prove to be accurate.
The council was reluctant to jump on board as they have been in previous years. The measure failed to pass twice already with approximately 60% of
Loveland voters voting against the lodging tax.
Did A Citizen Advisory Board Suggest The Tax?
Tony Adams, a member of the CFAC (Citizen Finance Advisory Committee) did indeed propose the lodging tax to his colleagues on the committee
but not in the manner implied by the group now advocating the tax which Adams is also a founding member.
The plan and recommendation provided to the CFAC was not the result of any initiation of the CFAC or a deliberative public process. Instead, city
employees under the direction of Don Williams prepared the recommendation and presented it to the CFAC via Tony Adams who acted as their stool
pigeon on the board. Other committee members of CFAC complained directly to LovelandPolitics that the proposal was hardly the work product of
average citizens on the committee rolling-up their shirt sleeves to make a recommendation. Instead, the committee’s recommendation was handed to
them by city staff to be presented to council at a public meeting.
Mayor Pielin nor the members of the city council were surprised by CFAC’s recommendation since it reflected exactly what Williams and Pielin had
said it should during a council study session earlier in the year and was prepared by city staff under their tutelage.
Don Williams had told council that the tax issue will be better received by the public if initiated by a citizen advisory committee instead of staff or the
city council. His plan was carefully orchestrated to appear as though a groundswell of support for the lodging tax was emanating from various sources.
The CFAC recommendation was the first step in that bigger plan.
Gaye Stockman, head of Loveland’s Chamber of Commerce and longtime lodging tax advocate, is now the second step implementing William’s plan
by forming a group looking to "better" Loveland that would miraculously stumble upon the same issue as CFAC and communicate to the city council
their support of the tax.
Convention Center For Centerra?
In quotes to the local media, Mayor Pielin already disclosed the intent in forming the group when he stated, “As soon as there's a ballot issue, the city
council isn't talking about it. It's law," Pielin said. “If you don't have someone else to carry the banner, a well-organized citizen-based group, promotion
stops and it's over.”
The group is clearly an effort by a few people in city hall to have someone else “carry the banner” outside city hall for implementing their plans for the
lodging tax and other unpopular issues. Pielin may have spoken too candidly since some members of the group are still pretending that it is a grass-
roots citizens committee formed to speak on behalf of Loveland’s residents.
An April 22, public meeting For a Better Loveland Inc. is planned and the press releases indicate it will be an opportunity for the group to determine
what issues the public wants it to address in making Loveland "better." Even to a casual observer the idea the group is really looking to new ideas from
the public after they were formed to lobby for the lodging tax is rather silly. The first issue is clearly a lodging tax but LovelandPolitics has been
informed they also have a more ambitious plan that will not be publicly announced until after the April 22, meeting.
Once the “community input” is received at the April 22 meeting, LovelandPolitics has been informed that the group “For A Better Loveland Inc.” will
officially advocate for a convention center for Loveland in Centerra (often called McWhinneyville by Loveland residents). This explains the role of Jay
Hardy from McWhinney on the committee.
The McWhinneys may feel a convention center erected with tax dollars near their development will help them to attract hotels for Grand Station and
the surrounding area. Don Williams and Mayor Pielin are not shy about using city tax dollars to assist the McWhinneys in achieving their business
goals. For A Better Loveland Inc. appears to be an attempt to form a “community group” of citizens to parrot the city manager and McWhinney’s
agenda while making it look like a citizen initiated effort.
Local news coverage about a “new” group forming in town to make Loveland “better” might appear odd to the average person. Readers of local
newspapers (Loveland Reporter-Herald and Loveland Connection) were told a group calling itself For A Better Loveland Inc. formed just last month
to make Loveland a better place to live.
If you think of city residents helping to create new parks, planting trees in Loveland's many barren medians, helping their neighbors or bringing meals to
elderly shut-ins as making Loveland "Better" - you guessed wrong.
If you interpret making Loveland “better” as meaning new taxes you will not find the group’s press release misleading.
Who Is “For A Better Loveland Inc?”
If it seems probable that McWhinney’s vice president of community relations, Jay Hardy, just happened to meet a former state senator (Stan
Matsunaka) and operator of Loveland’s Chamber of Commerce (Gaye Stockman) and they said let’s form a group to make Loveland better – than
you will find the news coverage and their press release credible. The truth is the group’s formation was hardly spontaneous and their objective not so
vague as to simply make Loveland better.
Look closely and you will find that For A Better Loveland Inc. is peddling a retreaded tax initiative that twice failed at the ballot box. While they
officially registered the group just last month with the Secretary of State’s Office as a non-profit organization, they already been meeting privately since
last year. The group’s primary objective is to resurrect the city’s twice failed public campaign to convince Loveland voters to pass a lodging tax. This
is a tax that cities charge hotel guests when they pay for a hotel room in the city.
While advocates of the lodging tax argue that it makes no difference where tourist decide to stay for the night - the Loveland Chamber of Commerce
apparently doesn't agree. This is especially curious since the head of the local Chamber of Commerce is also among the small group of citizens forming
For A Better Loveland to lobby for a lodging tax. Below is an excerpt from Loveland's Chamber website -
"Loveland isn't just a drive-thru to Estes Park, it's a great place to stay overnight before going up to the park the next day. Whether it's a
rustic lodge, a cabin beside the river, a bed and breakfast or hotel, Loveland, with no lodging tax, offers affordable accommodations
compared to surrounding communities."
Reintroducing An Unpopular Tax – Does That Make Loveland Better?
Loveland voters rejected such a tax in 1998 and again in 2000. City Manager Don Williams has been a strong supporter of passing a lodging tax for
the city and has raised the issue numerous times with the city council.
In January of 2007 Williams raised the issue again with Loveland’s City Council by placing it on the agenda and encouraging action. Alan Krcmarik,
Loveland finance manager, told the council that for each percent of new lodging tax the council could expect to see $80,000. He also pointed out that
meant a 3% lodging tax would earn the city $240,000 a year if his projections prove to be accurate.
The council was reluctant to jump on board as they have been in previous years. The measure failed to pass twice already with approximately 60% of
Loveland voters voting against the lodging tax.
Did A Citizen Advisory Board Suggest The Tax?
Tony Adams, a member of the CFAC (Citizen Finance Advisory Committee) did indeed propose the lodging tax to his colleagues on the committee
but not in the manner implied by the group now advocating the tax which Adams is also a founding member.
The plan and recommendation provided to the CFAC was not the result of any initiation of the CFAC or a deliberative public process. Instead, city
employees under the direction of Don Williams prepared the recommendation and presented it to the CFAC via Tony Adams who acted as their stool
pigeon on the board. Other committee members of CFAC complained directly to LovelandPolitics that the proposal was hardly the work product of
average citizens on the committee rolling-up their shirt sleeves to make a recommendation. Instead, the committee’s recommendation was handed to
them by city staff to be presented to council at a public meeting.
Mayor Pielin nor the members of the city council were surprised by CFAC’s recommendation since it reflected exactly what Williams and Pielin had
said it should during a council study session earlier in the year and was prepared by city staff under their tutelage.
Don Williams had told council that the tax issue will be better received by the public if initiated by a citizen advisory committee instead of staff or the
city council. His plan was carefully orchestrated to appear as though a groundswell of support for the lodging tax was emanating from various sources.
The CFAC recommendation was the first step in that bigger plan.
Gaye Stockman, head of Loveland’s Chamber of Commerce and longtime lodging tax advocate, is now the second step implementing William’s plan
by forming a group looking to "better" Loveland that would miraculously stumble upon the same issue as CFAC and communicate to the city council
their support of the tax.
Convention Center For Centerra?
In quotes to the local media, Mayor Pielin already disclosed the intent in forming the group when he stated, “As soon as there's a ballot issue, the city
council isn't talking about it. It's law," Pielin said. “If you don't have someone else to carry the banner, a well-organized citizen-based group, promotion
stops and it's over.”
The group is clearly an effort by a few people in city hall to have someone else “carry the banner” outside city hall for implementing their plans for the
lodging tax and other unpopular issues. Pielin may have spoken too candidly since some members of the group are still pretending that it is a grass-
roots citizens committee formed to speak on behalf of Loveland’s residents.
An April 22, public meeting For a Better Loveland Inc. is planned and the press releases indicate it will be an opportunity for the group to determine
what issues the public wants it to address in making Loveland "better." Even to a casual observer the idea the group is really looking to new ideas from
the public after they were formed to lobby for the lodging tax is rather silly. The first issue is clearly a lodging tax but LovelandPolitics has been
informed they also have a more ambitious plan that will not be publicly announced until after the April 22, meeting.
Once the “community input” is received at the April 22 meeting, LovelandPolitics has been informed that the group “For A Better Loveland Inc.” will
officially advocate for a convention center for Loveland in Centerra (often called McWhinneyville by Loveland residents). This explains the role of Jay
Hardy from McWhinney on the committee.
The McWhinneys may feel a convention center erected with tax dollars near their development will help them to attract hotels for Grand Station and
the surrounding area. Don Williams and Mayor Pielin are not shy about using city tax dollars to assist the McWhinneys in achieving their business
goals. For A Better Loveland Inc. appears to be an attempt to form a “community group” of citizens to parrot the city manager and McWhinney’s
agenda while making it look like a citizen initiated effort.