Tax for parks? Not likely, advocate says

Susan Davies is not optimistic.

After more than 3 years of brainstorming for ways to fund park maintenance in an era of shrinking municipal budgets, an effort launched when El Paso County officials raised the previously unthinkable prospect of selling Bear Creek Regional Park, parks supporters will make their pitch Tuesday for a sales tax measure to be put on the November ballot.

The group Great Parks-Great Communities wants voters to decide on a  0.15 percent sales tax, or 1.5 cents on a $10 purchase. The estimated $9.4 million in annual revenue would be divided up among municipalities, with a citizen board to oversee how it is spent and ensure it only goes to maintenance.

Davies, executive director of the Trails and Open Space Coalition, believes the prospects are slim for the county to place it on the ballot. The coalition has been the main driving force behind the initiative.

“We pretty much think we played by the book and we’re going to get slammed down, or we expect we’re probably going to lose,” Davies said Friday.

See their presentation here.

Parks funding since 2007 had dropped by 84 percent in the city and 58 percent in the county, according to the group’s presentation, leading to dead park lawns, closed facilities and uncollected trash.

Some of Davies’ pessimism comes from a meeting this week between Colorado Springs city officials, county commissioners and parks supporters. Newly elected mayor Steve Bach, whose city would get 78 percent of the revenue, voiced his opposition to the tax.

“I think you know this – I’m just being candid with you – I ran on a pledge not to support any increase in taxes,” Bach said at the meeting. “To me, this is tantamount to surrendering to, in my opinion, inefficient, ineffective government.”

Some of her pessimism comes from what she and others are hearing in private conversations, and what commission chairwoman Amy Lathen said at that meeting.

Lathen seemed to indicate that she wasn’t supportive, saying voters have to believe that existing resources are being managed properly before they approve a tax increase.

“There were some statements made here that we’re not sure that those efficiencies have been found. I happen to agree with that,” she said.

County officials have also expressed concern about the cost of running the election, since there are no other county-wide ballot issues.

Next week’s meeting was originally planned as a work session, but after the session with city officials, county commissioners decided to have a formal hearing and take a vote, said county spokesman Dave Rose.

Davies called the feedback from elected officials “disappointing and frustrating.”

“(Bach) has got to give us a little credit. We have looked at this for three years. We have talked to the department heads. We have watched what’s happened to the parks, tennis courts and swimming pools. We just don’t think he’s going to find the kind of efficiencies he can find to meet those needs,” she said.

She pointed to the polling the group has commissioned, which indicates voters would approve the tax if given the chance. If denied a spot on the ballot, she doesn’t know if the group will have the money and momentum to try again in 2012.

“All we’re asking at this point is to just let the people decide.”

Reporter Daniel J. Chacón contributed to this report.