[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 20158]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               TRIBUTE TO DURANGO CITY MANAGER BOB LEDGER

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                          HON. JOHN T. SALAZAR

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 23, 2007

  Mr. SALAZAR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a distinguished 
civic leader from my district. After 25 years of service, Robert F. 
Ledger Jr. will retire as the City Manager for Durango, Colorado. His 
long history as a public servant has been marked with dedication and 
integrity at every stop.
  Mr. Ledger has led Durango through both troubled and prosperous 
times, always with a passion for progress and in a way that preserved 
the historic and environmental ethic of the community. He championed 
numerous public works projects, encouraged community policing, opened 
city government to the citizens of the community and encouraged the 
public workforce to be the best that it could be.
  Durango has come a long way under Bob Ledger. During his time with 
the City of Durango he oversaw the construction of public recycling 
buildings, water and wastewater treatment facilities, police 
substations, parks, a world class recreation center and many trails 
including the renowned Animas River trail. Programs started by Mr. 
Ledger include publicly accessible geographic information systems, 
recycling collection and processing, historic preservation efforts, 
planning and community development operations, broad-based public 
safety reorganization, and award-winning financial management and 
reporting. Bob Ledger has led the City of Durango in its efforts to 
build or expand public library facilities, public transit, wastewater 
facilities, airport infrastructure, and numerous recreational 
opportunities.
  Mr. Ledger could not have accomplished all that was done in Durango 
over the last 25 years without the support of a strong staff, visionary 
city councils and the community of Durango as a whole. But without his 
drive, talents and skills many of the changes that have occurred in the 
Durango community would never have been realized. A man of passion and 
compassion, his legacy will live long. I salute Mr. Bob Ledger for his 
long and distinguished career of public service and wish him well in 
all his future endeavors.

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