Tax increase proposal likely to go on November ballot

Residents of El Paso County will likely vote on a sales tax increase in November. The Board of County Commissioners voted to put the measure on the ballot.

On Tuesday, Sheriff Terry Maketa told the board his office has many critical needs in the areas of criminal justice, law enforcement and emergency response. And the money to pay for it just isn’t there.

He reinforced those needs on Thursday.

“Does the Board of County Commissioners have the money to fund the sheriff’s needs, whether you agree with the volume I’m asking for or not, can you fund even half of it?” he asked the board.

Commissioners said they don’t.

“Do we have eight million, 10 million, 12, 20 million dollars to scrape together for all the things you’ve put together to the CBOC (Citizen Budget Oversight Committee) and in your critical needs? Absolutely not,” said Board of County Commissioners Chair Amy Lathen.

So the sheriff is turning to taxpayers for help. Come November, he wants voters to choose whether or not to pay an extra 23 cents for every one hundred dollars in sales tax.

“I’ve tried to find creative ways to alleviate the burden on our taxpayers,” he said.

But he said his efforts haven’t been enough.

The Board of County Commissioners voted to put the tax increase proposal on November’s ballot. It passed four to one, with Darryl Glenn voting no.

Commissioners have to vote again on Thursday, Sept. 6. If it passes then, the measure goes on the ballot.