Pueblo City Council to hear new option on November ballot issue
Pueblo City Council will look at another option on the public-safety tax question it placed on the ballot in July with a 4-3 vote.
“I think we have something in there for a lot of different areas,” City Council Vice President Ed Brown said.
Brown was one of the four who voted yes, and says the measure takes care of a lot of problem areas.
“While this or any other ballot issue isn’t perfect, it will give us the ability to add 24 police officers, build a new fire station, and pave a bunch of roads,” Brown said.
“I’m afraid the ballot is not going to pass,” Councilman Bob Schilling said.
Schilling is presenting a plan to council on Monday during its work session.
He says his plan is, “getting rid of the fluff.”
He’s suggesting a 4 percent sales tax increase to fund just the street work and police staffing meaning the money for refurbishing and building new parks and fire stations, demolishing condemned houses, and hiring more prosecutors would go away.
“There’s not a downside for council wanting to give the public more than they’re asking for,” Schilling said. “But I don’t think they’re willing to pay more than they’re asking for right now.”
Schilling sees one of the biggest problems being hiring more prosecutors for the district attorney.
“We’re already paying him once, and I think it’s going to be a lead weight around the ballot’s neck,” Schilling said.
Brown says, passing the measure with the additional prosecutors benefits the entire community.
“I can see that it is the responsibility of the county and the state,” Brown said. “But we’re trying to get everybody on the board to pass this issue for things that the whole community needs.”
As it is now, Schilling doesn’t see voters passing the tax come November, and that’s a toll all of Pueblo would feel.
“If it doesn’t pass the city, the city is the big one that loses, we lose more police officers and more streets,” Schilling said.
Council is set to discuss the plan on Monday at its work session.
KRDO NewsChannel 13 reached out to District Attorney Jeff Chostner for this story, but did not hear back.
