NOREEN: Election won't bring joy
It’s a bad joke: No one has to worry about the city of Colorado Springs going down the drain because voters killed the stormwater enterprise.
City voters delivered an unmistakable message Tuesday, slaughtering an ill-timed and poorly sold tax increase proposal and approving the vague and destructive stormwater measure, which seems sure to have unintended consequences.
It’s not going to be any joke at all to the dozens of city workers who now must be laid off because City Hall must whack $25 million to make its books balance for the 2010 budget. It’s not going to be very funny for those who use the city’s several community centers, swimming pools, bus system or the Pioneers Museum.
All those items were on a preliminary list of proposed cuts compiled by City Manager Penelope Culbreth-Graft, who presented the list to the City Council a few weeks ago. The list also mentioned 35 uniformed positions in the fire department and 53 in the police department — including 26 patrolmen.
The list is hardly final, but there’s no doubt deep cuts have to be made to reach the $25 million figure.
At the anti-2C party, there were smiles all around and some laughter when the decisive results emerged a little after 7 p.m.
Former State Sen. Andy McElhany, who spearheaded the opposition to the property tax measure placed on the ballot by the City Council, said it was gratifying to be on the winning side after pouring so much effort into it. But he added, “There’s really no joy in Mudville, because there are real budget issues.”
There are some in town who have said city officials have over-stated the budget situation to scare voters and that there are secret pots of cash stashed away which now can be raided to save the day. Those people, a small number, soon will learn they are wrong.
Substantial cuts to city services will occur soon, within weeks.
The larger problem for City Hall was that it has lost credibility with taxpayers this year. Most people understand the city is in a tight budget fix. They’re just not sympathetic.
Those people, a strong majority who came out in stunning numbers to shout down their leaders, wouldn’t vote for a hefty tax increase during a deep recession, and they feel the city has to share their pain.
“Everybody in the private sector has been feeling those tough times,” said longtime local activist Steve Durham,” and government hasn’t been making adjustments.”
If the council uses Culbreth-Graft’s blueprint, the city parks department will be devastated.
“Let’s not punish the voters for disagreeing with the City Council,” McElhany said.
Fact is, these tough times are punishing all of us and it’s all too true that no one should be taking any joy away from Tuesday’s results.
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