Taxpayer-Funded Perks for the Elite:

Time to Reclaim Montrose's Priorities

The Core Issue: Favoritism Over Fairness

Montrose, Colorado, was once a beacon of Western resilience, a place where hard work and community spirit built a thriving small town. But under the stewardship of City Manager Bill Bell, that spirit has been supplanted by a vision that prioritizes the comforts of a privileged few over the needs of the many. The latest example? A taxpayer-funded daycare center exclusively for city employees, carved out of a renovated old charter school at a cost of $850,000, with ongoing operational expenses sure to follow. While city workers enjoy competitive salaries and robust benefits packages, the majority of Montrose residents scrape by on minimum-wage retail jobs. This is not governance; it is favoritism, funded by sales taxes that already burden our community more heavily than many expect from a Rocky Mountain outpost.

Economic Disparities in Montrose

Consider the irony. Montrose's economy, shaped by Bell's "grand vision," revolves around tourism, outdoor recreation, and service-sector gigs that pay little and demand much. The median household income here hovers around $50,000, with countless families juggling multiple low-wage roles just to cover basics. Retail clerks at local shops, servers in our diners, and seasonal workers in the orchards earn Colorado's minimum of $14.42 per hour, often without the overtime or stability afforded to public servants. Yet Bell, ever the architect of elite enclaves, has convinced the City Council to green-light this City employee-only childcare facility. Approved unanimously in a recent work session, the project will serve up to 50 children of municipal workers, with the city handling renovations before outsourcing daily operations. No provisions for the broader community, no sliding-scale fees for struggling parents, no outreach to the underprivileged families who truly need affordable care. This is daycare as a perk, not a public good.

The Financial Sleight of Hand

The financial sleight of hand is staggering. That $850,000 could have bolstered our parks, repaired pothole-riddled roads on North Townsend Avenue, or expanded mental health services at the local clinic. Instead, it funnels directly into a benefit that mirrors corporate executive lounges more than small-town equity. City employees, already drawing average annual salaries exceeding $60,000 plus health coverage and pensions that outpace private-sector norms, now get subsidized childcare to boot. Meanwhile, a single mother working checkout at the grocery store faces waitlists for private daycares costing $1,200 a month per child, forcing her to choose between employment and family. Bell's proposal, passed without a whisper of public input, underscores a disconnect: our "leaders" serve their court, not the commons.

Montrose's Crushing Tax Burden

Worse still, this largesse arrives amid a tax regime that squeezes residents dry. Montrose boasts a combined sales and use tax rate of 8.53 percent, comprising 2.9 percent state, 1.75 percent county, and a hefty 3.88 percent city levy that includes the Montrose Recreation District. For restaurants and lodging, it climbs to 9.33 percent and 9.43 percent, respectively. Adding insult to injury, Montrose is one of the few places in Colorado that levies sales tax on food for home consumption, a policy that hits low-income families hardest. Unlike most of the state, where groceries are exempt from sales tax, Montrose residents pay the full 8.53 percent on every loaf of bread and gallon of milk, further straining budgets already stretched thin. In a town where the cost of living edges higher due to our remote location and reliance on imported goods, every purchase feels like a toll. Groceries, gas, school supplies, all inflated by this rate, which ranks among the highest in Colorado and rivals the Golden State's notorious burdens.

Comparing Taxes: Montrose vs. California

California, often pegged as the poster child for over taxation, maintains a statewide sales tax base of 7.25 percent, but local add-ons push the average combined rate to 8.85 percent across its cities and counties. Places like Los Angeles hit 9.5 percent or more, and San Francisco reaches 8.625 percent, but even these pale against the sticker shock in less urban spots. Montrose's 8.53 percent total eclipses California's baseline and matches or exceeds rates in many of its mid-sized locales, like Sacramento at 8.75 percent or Fresno at 8.2 percent. We are not coastal elites with Silicon Valley subsidies; we are a landlocked community of 20,000, where a family of four spends over $4,000 annually on sales taxes alone for essentials. Bell's daycare splurge, drawn from this pot, is not just tone-deaf; it is predatory, extracting from the working poor to pamper the employed elite.

A Pattern of Insider Favoritism

This pattern is no anomaly. Under Bell's tenure, Montrose has seen a parade of projects that favor insiders: lavish public works facilities rubber-stamped for efficiency, yet ballooning in cost; sales tax hikes floated to fund pet initiatives without voter say. Recall the proposed county sales tax increase he championed earlier this year, layered atop our already steep local rates. Each increment chips away at disposable income, forcing residents to forgo vacations or home repairs after winter storms. Childcare deserts plague rural Colorado, with only 22 spots per 100 children under five in Montrose County, far below national averages. A true leader would partner with nonprofits or leverage state grants for universal access, not lock the doors to city hall's inner circle.

The Human Toll and Inequality

The human toll is palpable. A retail associate at a local outdoor store, earning at best $15 an hour after tips dry up post-summer. With two young kids qualifies for no public aid, and private daycare eats 40 percent of their paycheck. When they learn their taxes are subsidizing spots for the planning department's offspring, the betrayal stings. "We're the ones keeping shelves stocked and tourists happy," they might say, "yet our kids get nothing." This resentment festers, eroding trust in institutions meant to uplift all. Bell's defenders may tout retention: happy employees mean better service. But at what cost? Studies show public-sector perks like this exacerbate inequality, widening the gulf between haves and have-nots in towns like Montrose.

A Time for Change

As autumn colors on the Uncompahgre Plateau change, resolve to act. Attend the next council meeting on October 7. VOTE NO to the City Charter Amendment hitting the Ballot this fall, the City Council and Bill Bell do not need ANY MORE expansion of power given to them by the We the People of Montrose. 

As we see new candidates emerge this coming  January for City Council’s election in April of 2026, support candidates who champion the people of Montrose over the bureaucrat. Montrose's soul is in its people, not its City worker perks. Are you tired of funding oblivion yet? Join the chorus demanding change. Our taxes built this town; they should rebuild it for everyone, not just Bill Bell’s court.

Michael J Badagliacco, “MJB”

Michael is the father of five and grandfather of three, United States Air Force Veteran, International Recording Artist, passionate about the United States of America and the founders Genius of the Constitution and Editor-in-Chief, Colorado DOGE Report (coDOGEreport.com).