Town needs revenue

We are at a fork in the road. Which way do you want to go? To the left the road appears level, straight and without winding curves, but you can only see ahead about a quarter of a mile due to heavy fog. On the right you see a road with a tough incline, rocks in the middle of the pathway and a creek to cross, but you see a bright little town sitting in a valley about a mile ahead. Did I forget to tell you that you have your grandkids with you?

Ok, you see where I am going with this. Do we manage the town for sustainability for the next generation or do we take the easy route, keeping our rates...