Colorado
Ballot Issue 7A: Extending the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority
The Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority, or PPRTA, is a collaborative effort between Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs, Inexperienced Mountain Falls, Ramah, Calhan and unincorporated El Paso County. It makes use of a one-cent gross sales tax to fund transportation initiatives within the area.
All potential initiatives funded by the tax should be included in writing on the poll to obtain PPRTA tax cash, and the portion of the tax used for giant capital initiatives should be renewed each ten years.
Fifty-five % of revenues pay for one-time capital initiatives; 35 % of the funds go towards upkeep initiatives; and the remaining 10 % is put towards transit. Voters initially accredited the tax in 2004, and prolonged it in 2014.
The poll measure being thought-about this November would lengthen the capital initiatives tax via 2034.
Right here’s the language you’ll see on the poll:
WITHOUT INCREASING TAXES, SHALL THE EXISTING 0.55% (FIFTY-FIVE ONE HUNDREDTHS OF ONE PENNY PER DOLLAR) PIKES PEAK RURAL TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY’S (PPRTA) SALES AND USE TAX, WHICH SUNSETS ON DECEMBER 31, 2024, BE EXTENDED TO SUNSET DECEMBER 31, 2034 FOR THE PURPOSES OF FUNDING REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS (100% OF NET REVENUE) AS SPECIFIED IN THE FOLLOWING VOTER-APPROVED LIST OF SPECIFIC REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AS HEREBY AMENDED:
How wouldn’t it work?
If the poll measure passes, it will lengthen the prevailing capital initiatives tax via 2034. The measure wouldn’t enhance taxes, because the tax is already in impact.
Colorado Springs Metropolis Council has endorsed greater than 160 initiatives for the November poll measure. A number of examples are as follows*:
- Midland Path enhancements
- Metropolis-wide visitors sign enhancements
- Bikeway enhancements
- Pikes Peak Greenway enhancements
- Patty Jewett Path building – Cache la Poudre to Patty Jewett Golf Course
- Bridge enhancements
*A full checklist of the initiatives is printed on the poll
Who’s for it?
At a press convention earlier this 12 months, authorities officers from Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs and El Paso County requested voters to approve the measure.
Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers mentioned the PPRTA is the one supply of funding that can enable officers to fulfill the transportation wants of metropolis and county residents, in line with the Colorado Springs Enterprise Journal.
“If we do not have PPRTA we merely can’t sustain with the expansion in our group, have the mandatory growth initiatives and congestion discount initiatives,” Suthers instructed the Enterprise Journal.
On the similar press convention, El Paso County Commissioner Carrie Geitner additionally spoke in help of the continued tax. In keeping with Fox 21, Geitner has constantly opposed new taxes, however she mentioned this one is totally different.
“I’ve and can proceed to combat again in opposition to overreach from huge state authorities spending, however PPRTA is the instrument that protects residents from those that dictate funding from our state,” Geitner mentioned.
Former Colorado Springs Metropolis Council member Richard Skorman was a part of the unique push for the tax in 2004. He nonetheless helps the measure, as reported by Fox 21.
“It’s simply as essential at present, in reality, it’s extra essential,” Skorman mentioned on the press convention. “I left my apron again on the enterprise and I need to help this as a lot as I can, I don’t suppose there’s something extra essential for our group.”
Within the annual PPRTA report, board chair Holly Williams described the $85 million spent in 2021 as “native cash invested instantly into our roads and transit system, creating jobs for our neighbors, and bettering the effectivity and security of the roads and bridges for the residents of the Pikes Peak Area.”
Williams at the moment serves as El Paso County Commissioner for District 1.
Who’s in opposition to it?
Laura Carno and Rebecca Marshall function springstaxpayers.com. The group says its mission “is to guard the taxpayers of Colorado Springs and El Paso County by asking the laborious questions and demanding reality and accuracy from our authorities.”
Carno, who now not lives within the area, cites excessive inflation charges and misuse of PPRTA funds within the group’s argument in opposition to the measure.
“Our choice could be that all the people who find themselves answerable for these huge budgets, that they sit down collectively and say, ‘How can we give taxpayers some reduction?’ Carno mentioned. “Versus, ‘Let’s get this factor renewed and use that cash for initiatives with out taking completely all the pieces into consideration. As a result of there’s a number of cash on the market.”‘
Carno additionally expressed concern over previous PPRTA cash utilized for bike lanes in Colorado Springs together with a scarcity of engagement with communities affected by the initiatives.
“Not all initiatives are disclosed within the poll language, so that you don’t know what could also be coming to your neighborhood,” she mentioned. She pointed to one of many particular person initiatives included within the poll measure, described as “congestion and incident administration – part 1.” Carno mentioned the language is imprecise, unclear and lacks transparency.
“I pay a whole lot of consideration to what is going on on in Colorado Springs. I do not know what which means,” Carno mentioned.