craigdailypress.com

Thanks to prudent planning, the city of Craig remains a solid piece of the local community despite turbulence across the nation, Mayor Don Jones said.

During a roughly 20-minute speech during the 2009 State of the County event Tuesday night at the Holiday Inn of Craig, Jones laid out the city's accomplishments last year, its plans going forward and his own personal philosophy on how residents can approach the country's economic crisis.

To shape his beliefs, the mayor turned to a Baptist preacher named Charles Spurgeon, who once wrote, "It is said that our anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength."

Craig's history is filled with people who did not give up, Jones said, and he encouraged the community to honor that lineage during these darker times.

"As we face these challenges, we cannot dwell on fear and uncertainty," he said. "We must face these challenges with the same vigor and determination that has defined this community for the past 100 years."

The mayor offered reassurances to the assembled crowd of about 140 people, as well.

Although financial uncertainty rocks other parts of the country, he said Craig remains stable.

"Many other state and national governments are experiencing massive budget cuts and personnel reductions," Jones said. "The city of Craig is not facing these tough choices."

Despite spending 93 percent of its 2008 budget, Jones said the city was able to invest in better infrastructure and never cut services.

First on his list was the new $9 million water plant upgrade, which the mayor said has its problems but soon will be a great benefit to the city.

"While some bugs are still being worked out, the new plant will be fully operational this summer," Jones said. "Contrary to the rumor mill, this upgrade is a state of the art water system that will deliver good clean water to our citizens for the next 25 years."

The city water and wastewater departments also replaced existing lines throughout Craig in 2008 and plan to continue that work in the future, Jones said.

The Road and Bridge Department participated in the commitment to improving local infrastructure, as well, Jones said. Crews put a new $690,000 asphalt overlay on First Street, chip sealed another 8.5 miles of local roads and bought a new street sweeper that can operate in sub-zero temperatures so officials can get a jump on spring and summer dust storms.

City officials also hired a consulting firm to work on a new transportation master plan, an update Jones said was about 20 years in the making.

All the while, the community saw about $50 million worth of construction projects go up, he added.

Activity should continue in 2009 with the start of the Colorado Northwestern Community College project on the west end of town, the construction of a four-screen cinema and several large-scale renovation projects.

There also is the possibility of three new residential subdivisions breaking ground, the mayor said, which should give the local construction industry a lot to do through the year.

Although Jones encouraged residents to stay positive during the country's recession, he added city officials cannot ignore what is happening.

The city will continue to put dollars into a three-month reserve to protect operations should there be a significant drop in sales tax revenue, Jones said.

"While this approach may be deemed conservative," he said, "it is necessary to maintain the financial integrity of the city."

Jones said he recognized the fact that this community cannot change the degree or severity of the country's problems. Still, residents can keep Craig from falling down around itself.

He offered another quote, this time from teacher and author Booker T. Washington, who said, "There are two ways of exerting one's strength: one is pushing down, the other is pulling up."

"We must not let fear and anxieties suppress our faith and spirit," Jones said. "We must focus on the positives and rely on each other and our community to help us through any rough spots."

Collin Smith can be reached at 875-1794 or cesmith@craigdailypress.com.