Pueblo County Commissioner says 1A project list should have been shorter, some projects unlikely to get finished

PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO)-- In 2016, Pueblo County voters approved Ballot Question 1A, which was the county's request to keep about $66 million in tax revenues in exchange for building a specific list of projects. The ballot measure allowed voters to "debruce" or opt out, of the tax-payer’s bill of rights (TABOR).

The program did not raise taxes on voters. Instead, it allows Pueblo to capture expiring tax incentives from Vestas Wind Towers, Black Hills Energy, and Grupos Cementos de Chihuahua of America Inc.

There are more than 20 projects in the 1A Community Improvement Program. Some are large-scale projects and others are much smaller.

According to Pueblo County Commissioner Garrison Ortiz, the amount of money that was projected back in 2016 when this ballot measure was constructed was never enough money to fully complete every project on that list. It was seen as, in some instances, seed money. He said it was used as a magnet to draw in other grants and other outside funds from state and federal government and private sources to "cobble" together funding.

It's important to note that Ortiz was not a Pueblo County Commissioner during the time this ballot measure was going through. However, he came into office the following year. He said he has worked on 1A projects a lot during his time in office.

Ortiz said in his opinion, the project list should have been a lot shorter and more attainable. According to documents obtained by KRDO, to finish all the projects on the list it would cost an estimated $232,694,030 as of May 5th, 2023.

"I would have liked to see the project list a little bit shorter, a little bit more attainable. Some better estimates could have been done at the time that would really, I think, make a more accurate representation to the public about what we could really get done and maybe what's not attainable. I think that would have been a better thing to do," said Ortiz.

Ortiz said when he was coming into office in 2017, the Board of County Commissioners would always have to prioritize which projects it was going to complete.

In the resolution passed in 2016, there is a small clause that says, "This board....should commit all of the revenues from the expiration of the tax incentive agreements to the community improvement projects...none of which might be financially possible in the absence of additional revenues." It also says the criteria for completion is determined by the board.

Ortiz said in 2016 the county commissioners at the time pulled which projects were of high interest to the voters. He said the Medal of Honor Blvd Extension/Joe Martinez Blvd. was polled as the number one project the voters wanted to see completed. According to Ortiz, the previous board set aside $3 million dollars of 1A money for the Medal of Honor Blvd./Joe Martinez Blvd.

The cost of the project is $40 million dollars. Ortiz said they did receive one grant for around 1 million dollars. They have applied for other grants and he said it's possible if they do get some more grant money, county commissioners will distribute the leftovers to other projects.

The Medal of Honor Blvd. and Joe Martinez Blvd. has been the number one studied project, and it is the project that will have the greatest economic and transformational impact on the city and county of Pueblo, according to Ortiz. He claims that's why it's getting the most funding through 1A funds.

Ortiz said 82% of the projects received some sort of 1A money, but the distribution of the money depended on the need.

It's important to note that some projects were expected to find outside funding or at least try to get it.

Some of those projects that are unlikely to be completed due to cost include the Platteville Blvd. reconstruction, the Pueblo West Aquatic Center, and the Arkansas River trail extension.

In order to complete Platteville Blvd., it would cost an estimated $20 million. Ortiz said the county or the metro board could help find outside funding but the likelihood of them finding all of it is low. To complete the Pueblo West Aquatic Center would cost an estimated $15 million. Also, the Arkansas River trail extension is expected to be between $20 and $40 million dollars.

According to Ortiz, Pueblo West has not come to them about the Aquatic Center funding in about a year but the other projects are just ones they don't have the money for at this time.

Ortiz said he is thankful to the city and metro district for their ongoing support while they work to get the projects they can get finished done.

A previous Pueblo County Commissioner, Terry Hart, told KRDO that they were doing their best to put together a list of projects that the voters wanted, however, they knew there was potential that they would not get finished. But, they tried working with all partners on every project during the time he was in office.