Our View: Our plea: Bite the bullet, vote for streets plan

Havre city officials certainly aren't playing politics with the proposed $30 million streets repair program. There couldn’t be a worse time to present to residents a tax hike that will average more than $200 a year.

Residents were just hit with a major increase in sewer rates because of a Washington- and Helena-mandated $10 million in upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant. While the state and the feds mandated the improvements they came with orders but no cash to help Havre taxpayers foot the bill.

The city also has to make more than a $1 million in improvements to the water system.

And the state did its long-overdue property revaluations. It’s good and bad news that property values in Havre are doing very well. While the impact of higher assessments may be less than feared, a lot of people were shocked at the higher values and skittish about higher tax rates.

Council members could have done what their predecessors have done for decades — dawdled and delayed action. But courageous council members decided  though this was a bad time, the problem of our streets has been put on the back burner for far too long and that it was time to tackle the growing problem of deteriorating streets.

The fact is, Havre streets are a mess and are getting worse every year. They are riddled with potholes, cracked and broken pavement and with holes from which you can see through broken pavement into Bullhook drainage.

We’ve heard lots of complaints about the streets and only one solution that will work: The proposal submitted by City Council.

It’s tough to swallow. Already-overburdened taxpayers are being called on to pay significantly higher taxes even though the streets they live on may not be on the renovation list for the next 20 years.

How we would love to join the chorus of people saying we ought to do nothing and hope some other solution may pop up. We’d love to say hold off and pray for something better.

But of course that begs the question: Just what else in heaven’s name could possibly happen to give the city the money it needs? It’s folly to think the money will land from the sky.

It’s hard to criticize the city for not doing something earlier while proposing that we continue to do nothing.

Sadly, waiting longer will only make the streets get worse and the costs get higher.

There is no choice other than biting the bullet and paying higher taxes.

There will be no magic wand from the state or federal government.

Congress can‘t even approve its meager highway bill that calls for not one red cent for Havre’s worsening problem anyway.

The state Legislature couldn’t get its act together to approve an infrastructure bill. The only money we’ve gotten from the state was because we were “lucky” enough to have 3rd Street cave into Bullhook.

Far-away governments being unwilling to help, the solution to Havre’s problems are in the hands of Havreites. Maybe that’s best after all.

Our property values, the safety of our residents, the aesthetics of our community and the condition of our tires, axles and shocks are dependent on having pothole-free streets.

Some people, in all sincerity, propose that to save money the city should let some streets revert to gravel. We can’t stand to see that happen to the city we love.

Havre can’t be a city of the 21st century when its streets look like they are from the 19th century.

You will get your ballot in the mail later this week. When you take a look at the referendum on street repairs, it would be natural to grumble a little, perhaps even curse that things have come to this. But in the end, please think of the future. The decision made this year will affect our city for decades to come.

We urge, no we plead, for a yes vote.

People shouldn’t have to travel through the biodiesel capital of the world on streets that look they are from the era of Bullhook Bottoms.