Dear Editor:
It wasn’t until I was on the Meeker Town Council that I understood the first reason we need a strong business community.
Sales taxes far exceed property taxes in supporting the services we have come to expect like snow plowing, public safety and even the recycling center.
Sales of goods and services allow friends and family that own and work in local businesses to live here too.
I am the first to admit that I buy products while out of town. However, it is rare that I don’t look locally first. I am all about shopping locally and for the reasons listed above it is worth a little extra to me.
I realize you can’t always get what you want or need in Meeker. Last fall, I had a flat tire on my mountain bike and went looking for an inner tube. I finally threw my hands in the air after checking four businesses and drove to Glenwood. In addition to a couple of tubes, I filled up my gas tank and saved $0.50 per gallon and bought two bags of dog food for the same price as one at the local grocery store.
If I hadn’t already been to the grocery store earlier in the day I would have saved on food also.
The local retailers pay extra to have their products delivered here. They have taken a leap of faith when investing in Meeker.
We should do all we can to support them.
Local businesses are the heart, soul and even financier of a community. We can’t afford to continue losing businesses from downtown.
Next time the opportunity presents itself, we should welcome any and all prospective businesses with open arms, not roadblocks.
Whether you choose to shop there or not is your choice. Just remember those who would have been shopping there are now spending that money plus a lot more out of town.
Steve Loshbaugh
Meeker
