With the municipal election now just six months away, it seems like a good time to say something that probably shouldn’t need saying: if you plan to run for council, or even just vote, you really ought to read the budget.
The Town’s 2026–2030 financial plan isn’t exactly light reading, but it lays out something important (and it’s not exactly a snore either). The budget book is 37 pages, and we should all be reading it.
Golden is dealing with aging infrastructure, rising costs, and the reality that putting things off only makes them more expensive later.
This year’s proposal includes a 10 percent revenue increase, translating to about a seven percent property tax increase, or roughly $168 more per year for the average household. It also ramps up infrastructure investment from $5.1 million in the previous plan to $8.9 million.
No one likes paying more. That’s the easy reaction.
The harder question is how we got here.
Infrastructure doesn’t suddenly wear out. Roads, pipes, and buildings age slowly, over decades. And so do the funding gaps. When past decisions lean toward keeping taxes low, the bill doesn’t disappear; it just gets pushed down the road.
At some point, that road needs fixing.
This budget leans into that reality. It’s about paying more now to avoid higher, more disruptive costs later. You can agree with that approach or not, but it’s the conversation we should be having.
Because there are only so many options, pay steadily and plan ahead, or wait for something to fail and pay more in a rush.
That’s where this gets real, especially with an election coming.
It’s easy for candidates to promise lower taxes and better services. It’s much harder to say what you would actually cut, delay, or risk to make that happen. In a town facing infrastructure pressure, those promises don’t always fit together.
Voters should be asking better questions this year. Not just who sounds good, but who understands the numbers, the trade-offs, and the long-term picture.
The Town is asking for feedback on this budget right now. That’s the moment to weigh in, not after the decisions are made.
Between now and October, there’s time to get informed. Read the budget. Ask questions. Decide what you support. Decide what you don’t.
And then expect the same level of thought from the people asking for your vote.
