Bayfield is a small town of 2,500 residents who live nestled in the Pine River Valley among wild bears, plentiful deer, some elk, turkeys galore (yes, there are barking dogs) and so much more. We have more sport complexes and churches than most towns this size and what a prize! We are close to self-sufficiency with an assortment of many medical and dental offices, holistic practitioners, a pharmacy, excellent schools from preschool to high school, a performing arts center, farmer’s market, parades and community events that often are fundraisers for the people who live here.

When my husband and I moved to Mill Street in 1979, our street was a mixture of pavement and gravel and there were no sidewalks on one side of the street. Now, after more than a 300 percent increase in our population it is time to look around to see the quality of our streets and to realize that maintaining what we have and working toward a more walkable community is our future! To maintain what we have, we must look at a new revenue source. The solution is to have everyone who uses our streets help in this endeavor with a simple solution of paying a mere penny on the dollar, which will result in a 1 percent sales tax increase.

Registered voters will be receiving their ballots in the mail soon. Voting yes on Question 2D means that you believe that not just our 2,500 residents, but all people who make purchases or go out to eat and drink should share the cost in maintaining our streets and controlling our stormwater drainage, which eventually leads into the Pine River.

What happens if this sales tax is not passed? Let’s see: Bayfield in the ’70s was quaint, but we want more than quaint! We want a town to be proud of now and in the future. No new funding source will mean reduced services and increased fees for town-supported programs like recreation and the senior center. Now doesn’t it clearly make “cents” to vote yes?

Jackie Morlan

Committee to Support our Streets

Bayfield