Your money, your safety: Sheriff Maketa talks sales tax increase

This election, El Paso County voters will be asked to approve a sales tax hike to provide funding for their sheriff’s office.

“It’s just gotten to the point where I’ve exhausted every avenue I can,” said El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa. “There is just nowhere else to turn, and if there was, I wouldn’t be doing this.”

Ballot measure 1A would increase county sales tax by just under a quarter of one percent, or 23 cents for every $100 spent. It’s expected to raise about $17 million a year, and would not apply to things like groceries, medication, utilities or gasoline.

Maketa said under staffing has resulted in glaring safety issues for his deputies, and after unanswered requests to county commissioners for more funding, the ballot measure was a last resort.

Maketa said the El Paso County Criminal Justice Center is short 30 deputies, which leaves one deputy in charge of up to 90 inmates.

“We have fights and assaults in the wards on a weekly basis,” said Undersheriff Paula Presley. “Our assaults on staff this year have increased 70%.”

KRDO Newschannel 13 toured the jail, and talked with Deputy Michael Perkins, who was responsible for 84 inmates in the hours they were allowed in and out of their cells. Some of the men were accused of robbery, assault and even murder.

“It can be pretty challenging,” said Perkins. “It’s very crucial to have a second deputy. Not only to watch what you’re not watching, but to be there when you need him.”

A desk between Perkins’ ward and another ward is supposed to be staffed with a deputy. That desk was empty during our tour and Presley said that’s become the norm.

Out on patrol, a similar story. Deputies said calling for assistance can be a waiting game.

“If an emergency happened right now, you’re looking at 20 to 25 minutes for somebody to get out here to cover you,” Deputy Brian Livingstone told KRDO Newschannel 13 during a ridealong.

Maketa said typically seven to nine deputies patrol an area of about 1,900 square miles, roughly the size of ten Colorado Springs.

“On patrol, our staffing is the same it was in 1990, yet the county population has grown 61% since then,” Maketa said. “I just see the crushing effect it has on our staff. I hear them on the radio calling for cover and there’s no unit available.”

During our ridealong with Livingstone, he said he had to prioritize the calls that came in because there was no way to respond to all of them. When he had to meet another deputy on a possibly dangerous call, he said a big portion of the county was left unattended.

“Currently for the Cimarron Hills area there are no units available,” said Livingstone. “That poses a huge risk.”

Most of the El Paso County Commissioners have come out in favor of the sales tax measure. But commissioner Darryl Glenn has made clear that he doesn’t believe raising taxes is the right solution.

“From an economic standpoint on jump starting your economy, raising taxes, in my opinion, is the wrong way to go,” Glenn said.

He said after fighting the Waldo Canyon Fire, southern Colorado is left fighting for tourism dollars.

“I think one way that would deter (tourism) is to make it more expensive to come to Colorado and spend more money,” said Glenn.

He points out the proposed sales tax hike would sunset after eight years, and asks what will happen to the staff that’s been hired then.

“One of the intents behind this tax is to actually go out and hire more deputies,” said Glenn. “You’re hiring personnel. So you’re setting up an unfunded liability in the out year when this tax is due to expire.”