County parks' future tied to sales-tax hike

A plan that could ensure El Paso County's parks are never turned into condo developments could be tied to voter approval of a sales tax in the Nov. 4 election.
The choice facing voters, according to county Commissioner Wayne Williams, is whether to provide sufficient tax money for the government to do its job or to leave other options open for raising funds, including the sale of parkland.

Williams said the county shouldn't preclude the sale of parkland while it's running short on the money needed to maintain legally required services such as running a jail and courthouse.

"We have to do these things. The money has to come from somewhere," he said. "If I have a dedicated funding source, then I can say ‘Well, I'll take these things off the table.'"

Unlike many other functions, the county has no legal obligation to own parkland.
Williams' plan calls for placing the county's regional parks under conservation easements, a legal tool that prohibits development on land such as a residential subdivision or retail center. The easements would be structured so that future elected officials could not remove them.

Williams will need support from at least two other members of the five-member Board of County Commissioners. A decision is expected Sept. 29.

If the plan succeeds, it would be a dramatic shift from previous county talks about selling some of the government's 7,000-plus acres of parkland to raise money to bridge a budget shortfall. It would go into effect, though, only if county voters approve a 1 percent sales tax to raise money for public health and safety agencies.

The tax would generate an estimated $75 million in its first year. The money would be divided among El Paso County and the eight city governments within the county, but most of it would go to the county government. Tax-backers say the money would be enough to sustain the government for up to 20 years without another tax rate increase.

County leaders floated the idea of selling parks in May as the government struggled with a projected $9.9 million budget shortfall this year. At the time, officials did a preliminary study that estimated the county could get $600,000 for selling part of Fox Run Regional Park in the north part of the county, and $14 million for selling all of Bear Creek Regional Park on the west side of Colorado Springs. The county commissioners said they hoped to sell the land to another government that would keep it as a park but couldn't rule out selling to a land developer. One business suggested turning Bear Creek Regional Park into a golf course.

In the end, the commissioners identified other ways to keep the 2008 budget balanced, including layoffs, steep reductions to some department budgets, and shifting cash out of a reserve fund. Budget officials predict severe money shortfalls again next year if the tax doesn't pass.

In response to the discussions in May, a citizen group called Save our Parks and County Now formed to explore ways parks could be permanently protected. The group's leader, Bob Dyer, said Thursday the plan might offer an incentive for voters, but he said he's concerned about using parkland to bargain with taxpayers.

"That's kind of being a little unfair to the public to hold it out as a bribe," he said. "If you pass the sales tax, then we'll put these parks into perpetual easements so they cannot be sold to private parties - I just think that's kind of a rough-handed justice."

The plan also doesn't ensure the county government will spend enough money to run the county parks, even if they're protected from sale, Dyer said. He favors a separate property tax dedicated to parks, a change that would require voter approval.

"It doesn't do any good to have a public easement, conservation easement or anything if you don't have a sustainable source of funds to operate parks properly, mow the grass, keep the paths open and keep the trees trimmed," he said.

Williams said his plan would shield only regional parks. The other areas that fall into that category are Black Forest Regional Park, Fountain Creek Regional Park and Homestead Ranch Regional Park. The plan would not protect smaller areas such as Widefield Community Park and Stratmoor Hills Neighborhood Park.

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Contact the writer: 636-0187 or perry.swanson@gazette.com