Colorado Springs residents fight excess tax revenue going toward new police academy
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- A new proposal to move excess tax revenue collected from TABOR, known as Taxpayer Bill of Rights, to fund new police training in Colorado Springs is drawing the ire of thousands of Colorado residents.
Chauncey Johnson is a recent Colorado Springs graduate opposed to TABOR funding of about $5 million going towards the construction of a new police academy. The plan to create new areas for police to train recruits is set to be completed in August, so city officials are not even sure what the project's budget will be, let alone where the academy will be located.
In order to get to the right staffing number, the Police chief claims that they need to have a rotating academy, something they need space for. The money from TABOR would fund that.
“What we need to be able to do, is have an academy space that allows us to every 15 weeks start an academy," Chief of Police Adrian Velazquez said. "And our goal is to start with a minimum of 40 recruits in each of those academies every 15 weeks.”
A petition against this proposal states the signers believe that the use of funds is "fiscally unsound" and cites a few better ways to use the money, namely, housing and "wrap-around resources." They also state that they believe this is a better solution to crime than more police officers on the streets.
The petition has gathered over 2,500 signatures.
"It speaks volumes [that] people that are coming from different spaces and really seeing that this money could be spent elsewhere in a more positive way," Johnson said.
As of now, the President of Colorado Springs City council, Randy Helms will not comment, but the council did move to include a space on the November ballot for it. They will vote on the proposal August 8th.
