NOREEN: Whopping 2010 ballot has familiar ring
On Nov. 2, voters in Colorado Springs will be confronted by a ballot with roughly the same number of line items as the greater Chicago telephone directory.
This was ensured Thursday when the El Paso County commissioners and the Colorado Springs City Council heaped six more measures onto a ballot that already carries five statewide proposals.
One of the local measures earned its way onto the city ballot via citizen petition — a proposal that would fundamentally transform city government by creating a strong-mayor system. The rest were flung onto the ballot by the two elected bodies, including two issues voters already have rejected.
The City Council, which has been a reluctant ally at best to the voter-approved Trails and Open Space program since its inception a decade ago, wants voters to approve a raid on the TOPS cookie jar. The money, about $500,000, would not come close to being enough money to handle the city’s parks maintenance needs (about $9 million is required) and voters rejected the idea just last year.
Nonetheless, the council still wants to get its hands on the money. The truth: The city needs it.
Open space backers fear that once the council goes to this well once, it will come back for more. The truth: That is a legitimate, fox-in-the-henhouse fear. The measure would sunset in two years, when turnover will create a new council.
Long-time open space critic Councilman Sean Paige and Councilman Tom Gallagher said voters should be given more credit for being able to sort out issues.
“I have faith in the voters,” Gallagher said.
It must be said: Those with faith in the electorate don’t keep pushing the same unsuccessful measures. It looks more as if the council and the county commission just didn’t get their way and they’re hoping voters won’t notice the same stuff is being foisted on them again.
Voters told the county commissioners in 2006 they weren’t interested in allowing some county office holders to have a third term in office. Yet in November voters will see three measures to add terms for the commissioners, the district attorney, treasurer, clerk, assessor and surveyor.
The strong-mayor issue is a new one and should give city hall a better-defined direction. The proposed system would do nothing to reel in the mighty Colorado Springs Utilities, but Councilman Larry Small rightly called it “a very serious change in our form of government.”
Save the best for last: The city will ask voters to allow it to keep $600,000 in excess property tax revenue to spend on infrastructure and public safety. If voters reject this item, each ratepayer would see a one-time credit of less than $3 on a utility bill.
The simplest of all the measures, the easiest to support.
—
Listen to Barry Noreen on KRDO NewsRadio 105.5 FM and 1240 AM at 6:35 a.m. on Fridays and read his blog updates at gazette.com/blogs/barrysblog
