Buena Vista trustees decline Kroger tax‑sharing request after months of outreach

The Town of Buena Vista Board of Trustees voted Oct. 28 to authorize a draft public announcement indicating the town will not enter an incremental sales‑tax sharing agreement with Kroger/City Market.

The measure follows more than an hour of public comment at the trustees meeting, where residents, business owners and county economic‑development officials offered competing views. ‘‘This is an opportunity we should seize,’’ Deborah Cameron of the Chaffee County Economic Development Corporation said, urging the board to negotiate, and noting ‘‘this store represents a significant investment by Kroger of close to $30,000,000 or more.’’ Jonathan Whitweller, a local business owner, urged trustees to reopen talks and ‘‘engage Kroger in a meaningful negotiation to better our town.’’

Speakers opposed to a tax split argued the town should not give a large subsidy to a national chain and that the rebate could harm small, locally owned businesses. ‘‘I’m not mad. I’m just disappointed,’’ resident Scott Simmons said, describing what he called a lack of transparency in the negotiations and asking the trustees to release any analysis the town used to reach its position.

The board’s action was procedural: trustees moved to approve the draft announcement and authorized the mayor to sign it. The draft in the packet reported the Kroger proposal had initially sought a larger amount (reported by staff as $2.6 million) and that negotiations had reduced the town’s exposure to about $1.6 million but still raised concern for some trustees and residents. Trustees said staff had sought additional budget and line‑item detail from Kroger but had not received the granular cost breakdowns staff requested.

Trustees who voted to approve the announcement said the decision reflected the volume and tone of community input. Trustee comments during the meeting emphasized competing civic priorities, including maintaining town revenue streams for services and infrastructure. The motion passed on a roll call (yes: Trustee Haidt; Trustee Rosenau; Trustee Rice; Trustee Roe; Trustee Sturm; Trustee Swisher; one trustee recused).

The board did not adopt any new agreement language or make a final determination about whether Kroger will proceed independently. Town staff said they had continued communications with Kroger representatives but had not received the detailed documentation requested. The draft announcement is intended to be a formal, public notice of the board’s current position; the mayor is authorized to execute it.

Next steps: trustees and staff said they will continue to communicate with Kroger and monitor any formal development applications. The town also retains the option to reengage if new terms or additional community assurances are proposed.