Without a major wastewater treatment plant upgrade in Cortez, some community leaders fear that the area’s growth potential would be, so to speak, flushed down the toilet.

How to pay for that badly needed infrastructure expansion was discussed at the League of Women’s Voters forum Wednesday night featuring candidates of the Cortez Sanitation District board. They are challenger Bob Diederich, incumbents Stan Pierce, Arnold Hampson, and Dan Belt, and former sewer plant superintendent George (G.W.) McCutcheon.

Responding to questions directed by moderator Pete Dumont, the candidates spoke of their plans if elected and the state of affairs regarding the special district’s three waste-treatment facilities and maze of waste-collection piping. All five expressed support for a May 2 bond issue that asks voter permission to increase the special district’s mill-levy tax enough to finance a $10 million sewer-plant replacement. The bond would combine all the plants into a single modern facility.

If that ballot question fails to pass, another option to make the necessary improvements would be funded by increasing sewer-tap fees and doubling the monthly rate paid by customers from $14 per month to $28 per month. The current operation is growing increasingly strained, with just 672 taps remaining and the wastewater treatment plants approaching both their maximum capacity and the end of their projected lifespans.

"We need to pass the bond issue and get a new plant so that Cortez can continue to grow," said Pierce. "If it does not then we will have to return to the drawing table."

The candidates discussed the merits of raising tap fees and rates over the bond issue for funding improvements, and agreed that floating a general obligation bond backed by a tax increase is more fair.

"(The bond issue) is more equitable because it is a tariff against property owners," Diederich said. "So those with a bigger home would pay more. If the bond doesn’t pass, that means rates for everyone would be doubled, and that hurts low-income people."

Belt countered that no decision has been made to double fees if the bond fails.

"That is one option, but it is not written in stone," Belt said.

The plant improvements would secure the service for those on the sewer-system grid in Cortez and provide for more taps, but the candidates also emphasized the dire need for a septic collection system for county residents, a $500,000 addition the candidates said should be paid for by the county. Currently that waste is shipped to the La Plata County system in Durango, and the fear is that when that operation begins to reach capacity, Montezuma County will be cut off.

"Septic receiving needs to be part of the new plant, and it should be the county’s responsibility," Hampson said.

"The time will come when La Plata County tells us to take care of our own septic waste," agreed McCutcheon. "Montezuma County should pay for that addition and we should charge them for treating this, because it has to be metered at a slower rate into the plant so there are higher costs."

Audience member David Long asked the slate of candidates whether they would consider dissolving the special sanitation district and allow the city to manage waste-water treatment services because it would be more efficient.

"We can do it efficiently whereas the city does nothing efficiently," responded Belt to gasps from the crowd.

Diederich, on the other hand, said he would be interested in looking into it.

"Dissolving the district is something that may need to be done," he said. "A lot of the work for sanitation overlaps with other departments with the city."

Board candidates did agree that more cooperation was needed between the district and the city, and that the district should become more customer friendly.

"Better public relations is an area of concern that needs to be worked on," Pierce said.