Ballots for Memorial Hospital Mailed Out

Ballots for the city’s special election have been mailed out by Colorado Springs City Clerk, and voters can expect to find them in their mailboxes in the next few days.

This ballot will only have one question: Should Memorial Hospital be leased out to the University of Colorado Health Systems.

The Colorado Springs City Council has been working on plans to lease out the hospital or make it a non-profit for two years. All the biding and paper work has been squared away, but the final decision is up to the people.

Mayor Steve Bach and the Colorado Spring City Council is supportive of the leasing plan, and one council member calls the lease a win win situation for local government.

“Among other things, we get out from under the obligation of PERA, the retirement plan. We get money upfront from UCH, anf yearly payments from UCH, so this is kind of a win win,”said Bernie Herpin, councilor representing district 4.

Not everyone is in favor of the leasing plan. Several red and white signs have appeared in Colorado Springs that call the leasing a scam, but don’t say much more. A website that also appears on the signs is simple, provide some news articles, and an e-mail address for interested volunteers, but does not have a group taking responsibility for the information.

Sometimes ballot language is considered tricky. For this single ballot question, a yes vote means the hospital should be leased to the University of Colorado Health Systems and a no vote means it should not be leased.

In order for a vote to count it must be received no later that 7pm on August 28th by the City Clerks offices located on 930 N. Nevada Avenue.