Gov't employees dominate C-Springs annual budget meeting, push for no reduced city funding
From the main chambers, to the overflow rooms below, Colorado Spring's City Hall was packed to the heal with concerned citizens and emergency response personnel during a lively and passionate annual budget meeting at 7 p.m. Oct. 22 downtown.
Two issues that came to the forefront: ballot issues 2C and 300, a property tax increase initiative supported by police and fire department unions and Doug Bruc's latest anti-tax push to break down the city's controversial Stormwater Enterprise, respectively.
Starting out the night, the city's manager, Dr. Penny Culbreath-Graft, provided a quick brief synopsis the city's budget situation. She talked about the $388 million budget for the city, the $51 million budget gap between the 2008 and 2009 fiscal years and the $28.5 million decrease for the general services fund alone. The doctor pointed out in the beginning of her statements the city is providing more services than taxes can support.
Of course, the recession hitting the nation has hit Colorado Spring's pocket book as well, with lower sales tax revenue coming in. Dr. Culbreath-Graft then pointed out the main item of the night: through 2013 at least, the city could expect a $15-20 million budget shortfall.
With her comments over, city employee after city employee came forth, pleading their case not to cut budgets overall, or to cut more city positions altogether. Others came forward as well, pushing the council not to cut funding to city parks in the city, including Cheyenne Canyon. After them, advocates for public busing stepped forward, presenting their challenges to the council. You name it, the pleas for the government hand of money continued to go forth.
But do none of these citizens understand the situations put forth? In the worst recessions since the 1930's Great Depression, Colorado Springs has found itself into a hole that requires immediate action to get out of. So it's important to cut fat and remember: "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." Why are we not cutting bus routes to far reaches of Colorado Springs to provide transportation to only a handful of people, while the bus route results in a major negative red mark on the budget. Perhaps this low ridership is the reason heavy tinting has been applied to the city's buses, shadowing the reality of government-subsidized public transportation.
But why stop there? The city's parks and recreational facilities are important to the morale of citizens, and provide at-risk children with positive venues outside the realm of gang and criminal activity. But, going back to the needs of the many outweighing the needs of the few, without cutting into important emergency services of fire and police support. We can do without some of our parks for a year or two as the city nurses its wounds from an economic downturn affecting the entire nation, not just Colorado Springs.
Issue 2C is being pushed as the magical fix to our fiscal downturn. But why aren't these same people seeing it from a middle class standpoint. Raising taxes in the middle of one of the nation's worst recessions is a recipe for one thing: lower population numbers. When people start paying higher taxes for the same services, they simply look to their neighboring communities for other taxation rates. And then they make the move, leaving the city for other livelihoods, while still working in the city. The lower class of the Colorado Springs cannot support the city when these highly-technical skilled workers, many in aerospace and aviation industries, leave for Pueblo, Falcon and Front Range outer lying areas. In some cases, they will look to our big brother to the north, Denver, as well as Lone Tree, Highlands Ranch and Littleton.
Emotions have ran high in the debate for the Spring's budgetary future. Emotions must be purged from the public discourse, and clear-minded, fiscally-responsible leaders must take the lead and make the necessary cuts needed to keep Colorado Springs vibrant and thriving as we navigate the waters of this recession. And the we is the many, rather than the few.
.jpg)
