City Council Moves To Get Rid Of Stormwater Enterprise

COLORADO SPRINGS – City Council will not fight to keep the Stormwater Enterprise operational following the passage of Issue 300 in last Tuesday’s election. The Douglas Bruce-authored ballot question sought to eliminate the Stormwater fee, but after the election, Mayor Lionel Rivera and several other members of City Council questioned whether the wording of Issue 300 was sufficient to require an abolishment of the controversial fee. Bruce threatened to take the City to court to force their hand,but Monday, Council conceded that the voters’ intent by supporting Issue 300 was to get rid of the Stormwater fee, which Bruce has long referred to as a “rain tax” because it charges property owners a fee based on the amount of impermeable surface on their property. City Council has instructed the City Manager to figure out a way to get rid of the fee, even with some projects already under way and others planned for the future.