craigdailypress.com

In November's election, 54 percent of Moffat County voters said no to a tax increase that would have benefited people with mental retardation.

If the referendum had passed, Horizons Specialized Services would have had about $350,000 extra to spend in Moffat County. The money would have been used to provide services such as day care, job placement and a place to live for some of the 15 people on the group's waiting list.

"Unfortunately, we can't help everyone who asks for it," Horizons Executive Director Susan Mizen said. "That's one of our biggest challenges."

At a public forum Tuesday in Craig, Horizons employees, clients and concerned community members met to talk about ways Horizons can do better and the role people with disabilities play in a community.

Kay Borvansky, Horizons resource development coordinator, said although there are misconceptions about people with disabilities, they contribute a lot to society.

"They're just like any participant in a community," Borvansky said.

People with disabilities, including Horizons clients, contribute to their community through paying taxes, holding jobs for longer than most people, and by volunteering, attendees at Tuesday's forum said.

But increasing the visibility of the role people with disabilities play and the work Horizons does is a challenge, attendees said.

"There needs to be a lot more community awareness if we're ever going to get a bond issue passed over here," said Pres Askew, a Craig resident active in area nonprofits.

Askew said it will be hard for voters to say yes to increased funding for Horizons if they don't understand the organization or its funding situation.

Don Roth, a Horizons board member, said that if the campaign for the referendum didn't already increase the organization's visibility, it would be hard to do.

"If they didn't see it in the campaign, what can we do differently now?" Roth asked.

Ideas for how the group could increase its visibility included attending political events during campaign season and seeking more media exposure.

Mizen said the organization hasn't ruled out another ballot initiative but that officials haven't taken any official steps toward placing an initiative on the ballot.