Opposes museum district

Editor,

As I run my hand through the wool chaps, I imagine cow punching during the winter months in 1890. Seeing the beaver pelt, I wonder if trading amongst Native Americans and town folk always went well for the Mountain Men. Exploring the Rudefeha mine, approaching the tram towers, the random wagon wheel you stumble upon, leaves me astounded with these historical pioneers and their successes.

This day; in CCSD 2 we have five historical museums which are accurately geologically represented within this district. Each museum has attracted personal donors because their passion belongs to that museum; whether it be ties with their great-great-grandparents settling here or minerals and gems or the railroad.

People voluntarily donate where their passions are. If you are thinking to yourself you don’t donate to the museums here because you don’t have an interest in them, that’s ok! Your passion is elsewhere; maybe in Search and Rescue, your local volunteer Fire Department or maybe your local Animal Shelter. The point is you aren’t forced to give money in an extracurricular activity that you aren’t interested in.

The Saratoga Museum has proposed a mill levy that will be on your General Election ballot. If voters approve this mill levy, your taxes will increase, your cost of living will increase! Your collected taxes will only go to the Saratoga Museum and deter those who have donated to the Saratoga Museum and other museums within our district. The proposed land that will be taxed is grossly misrepresented, ranging from Cow Creek thru Brush Creek, past Ryan Park, due north up towards Elk Mountain, back around Walcott Junction and into Saratoga.

This proposal cuts into land that is historically represented by other museums that sits outside the borders of this mill levy. These are funds that should be allocated to Hanna, Medicine Bow, Elk Mountain or the Grand Encampment Museum, not solely the Saratoga Museum. The mission statement of the Saratoga Museum states “... seeks to deepen understanding and engagement of the historic, prehistoric, geological, and cultural past up to the present of the town of Saratoga...”

If there will be a museum district levy, all museums within our district should be represented fairly. Ranchers, land owners, businesses, and YOU should be able to make that choice of who you want to support and to what extent. Please think about the long term impact this will make on our community as a whole!

Respectfully Submitted,

Shannon K.F. Craig

Concerned Citizen