Colorado Springs Information

Mayor John Suthers stated he was "surprised" to learn that information in El Paso County's voter information packet aren't vetted. (Jerilee Bennett/The Gazette)

Statements in official booklet must be accurate, correct? Wrong.

The City Charter directs the city clerk to conclude commentary obtained. If perhaps one person submits remarks and does therefore in under 500 words, those arguments tend to be provided verbatim.

Mayor John Suthers stated he was "shocked" to learn that, because statewide ballot problem feedback distributed inside "blue book" tend to be vetted by a bipartisan legislative committee for veracity.

"They are, " verified Lynn Bartels, spokeswoman for the Secretary of State's Office. "they've blue guide hearings which I can keep in mind Douglas Bruce coming and arguing point after point after point, even noting that something is grammatically incorrect."

The town and county, however, "It is a tremendously different process, " said City Clerk Sarah Johnson.

"I discover that a very bad system, " Suthers said of this charter mandate to write reviews without a truth test.

Measure 2C seeks to increase the city's 2.5 % sales income tax by 0.62 percent - 6.2 dollars per ten dollars - to boost $50 million a-year for 5 years to rebuild or restore the town's crumbling roadways.

Just anti-tax activist Bruce provided arguments against both city ballot problems, and he did so in under 500 terms, making sure they would be published verbatim.

A number of their arguments resistant to the sales tax increase straight contradict statements the gran has made:

- "Waste. . The City hires bureaucrats with cushy pensions, not exclusive technicians supplying competitive prices."

Suthers over and over has said no new town staff members are going to be hired for the roadways work; all of it will likely to be placed to bid by contractors.

Indeed, the ballot issue it self claims: "not one associated with extra product sales and make use of income tax revenue will likely be always hire additional City employees or buy extra equipment for City roadway jobs. The restoration work should be developed off to the exclusive sector."

- "Fraud. . They want to repave 25per cent of city roadway kilometers in 10 years. Path damage will grow; the ignored 75percent gets much worse."

Suthers stated the income tax increase can pay to boost 46 % of city's roadways in 5 years "with reconstruction, overlay or chip and seal."

- "Dishonesty. . 9/8/15: Mayor admits only half this tax goes for roads."

"What I've said all along usually 1 / 2 the trouble for road-building is concrete, " Suthers stated. "that you do not invest an overlay if curb and gutter tend to be crappy. What I stated is: Half the cost is concrete curb and gutter."

The "pro" sales income tax responses had been posted by Golda Lynette Crow-Iverson, president and CEO of Conspire!, which provides pre-employment screening services.

Bruce also presented the sole opposition to Ballot Issue 2D, which may let the city to help keep $2.1 million that exceeded income limits in Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, which Bruce published.

The Trails and Open Space Coalition offered the "pro" commentary. If voters let the city keep the money, without refund about $11 per family, it will be invested to fix, renovate and improve "existing portions of priority multi-use park tracks" using the work to be "developed off to the exclusive industry." Many tracks had been damaged by record rainfall this summer.

Bruce, a former county commissioner and legislator just who served jail time for crime beliefs, arrives in Denver District legal on Thursday for a 3rd time on allegations which he violated his probation.

Their arguments against measure 2D segue into claims the town wants "a downtown arena (without voter approval) costing over $300 million, " will pay excessive wages to town and Colorado Springs Utilities workers and raises utility prices.

"when they divert the (trails) cash in other places after the election, we are trapped, " he had written. "Politicians lie."